A former banker with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Seun Awosanya and an auto spare parts dealer, Amaechi Osita, were today, re-arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court, by the Police’s Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), on charges bordering on fraud and stealing to the tune of N66, 450, 000 million.
The former banker with FCMB and the spare parts dealers’ arraignment was sequel to the transfer of the matter to a new judge, Justice Abimbola O. Awogboro, who is hearing the charges against them for the first time.
The two defendants were first arraigned on August 22, 2016, before Justice Abdulaziz Anka, who is now sitting in another jurisdiction of the court.
Following Justice Anka’s transfer to another jurisdiction of the court, the defendants’ matter was transferred to Justice Saliu Saidu, who recently retired from the Bench.
At the resumed hearing of the charge today, the prosecutor, Mr. Daniel Apochi, asked the court to retake the plea of defendants since the matter is coming up for the first time before the new judge. The submissions, were unopposed by Mr. Victor Nwachukwu and Opeyemi Adekoya, who were counsel to the defendants.
The court then ordered that the charge be read to the defendants for their plea to be retaking.
Upon reading the charge, the defendants maintained that they were not guilty.
Following the defendants’ not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked for a trial date. While their counsel, pleaded with the court to allow their clients to continue with the bail terms earlier granted them by Justice Anka.
In her ruling, Justice Awogboro, while adjourning the matter till November 1 and 2 for commencement of defendants’ trial, also granted their counsel’s request on the bail application.
PSFU in a charge numbered FHC/L/339c/2016, alleged that the defendants on or before March 2015, conspired among themselves with one Okoli Chigozie Kingsley, said to be at large and fraudulently obtained the sum of N66, 450, 000, from a company, Logicvantage & Trust Limited, under the false presentation that the money will be converted to US dollars.
They were also alleged to steal the said amount after it was converted to $300, 000.
It was gathered that the offences were committed when the first defendant, Seun, was still working as a banker with FCMB, where he secretly and unofficially changed the currencies for the spare parts dealer and Okoli, who is said to be at large.
The PSFU had told the court that the offences contravened section 1(1)(a)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences, and Section 15((1)(ii)(3) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004, as amended.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
