The Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, re-arraigned a lady, Alice John, alongside her boyfriend, Fadi Alloush, before Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan for fraud in the sale of charcoal.
John and Alloush were dragged to court on three-count charges of conspiracy, stealing and obtaining the sum of N17.500 million under false pretences.
One of the charges read, “That Fadi Alloush and Alice Peace John, betweqen the 18th October, 2019 and q1qq December, 2019 at Ibadan, withinq the Ibadan Judicial Division, did commit an illegal act to wit: stealing of the sum of N17,500,000 only, property of Coco-Dor Nigeria Limited and Houssam Nasreddine.”
The offence is contrary to Section 390 of the Criminal Code Laws, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State.
The lovers pleaded not guilty to the charges, following which the prosecution counsel, Dr. Ben Ubi, applied for a trial date, while defence counsel, Olukunle Kamisi prayed the court to allow the bail earlier granted the defendants subsist.
Justice Taiwo granted the defendants’ prayer.
The judge said, “The bail shall subsist and, in the event where there is delay on the defendants’ part, their bail will be revoked.”
He adjourned the matter till October 8, for trial.
It will be recalled that the defendants were initially arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Oyo State High Court on March 17 but was re-arraigned on Wednesday following the reassignment of the case to Justice Taiwo.
The case started from January to December 2019, when the victim, Houssam Nasreddine, transferred a total sum of N17, 500, 000.00 to the account of the first defendant, John, for the purchase of charcoal from Iwere lle, Oyo State for export, which the defendant bought and loaded in containers at the Hapag LLOYD Shipping Company, Apapa, Lagos for exportation.
However, rather than sell the goods in the name of the rightful owner, she allegedly connived with her boyfriend, Alloush, and transferred the ownership of the goods and sold them off.
The petitioner added that all efforts to retrieve either the charcoal or his money were frustrated by the defendants.
