EFCC Arraigns 2 French Nationals, Lawyer Over Alleged Forgery And Uttering

Two French  Nationals, Gnahouse Sonrou Nazaire and Senoue  Modeste, were yesterday, remanded in prison custody over alleged forgery and uttering, pending the perfection of their bail conditions by a Lagos State High Court sitting at Igbosere.

Justice Raliat Adebiyi, remanded them after listening to the submission of the defendants’ counsel, Rickey Tarfa, SAN, urging the court to grant them bail. Justice Adebiyi granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. She said the two sureties must be gainfully employed, and must be Nigerian citizens.

Earlier, the defendants and a lawyer, Ferdinand Egede were arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, over alleged forgery and uttering.

The three defendants are facing four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and uttering preferred against them by the EFCC.

The EFCC prosecutor, Chikezie Udozie, told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences on May 28, 2007.

He said the defendants conspired among themselves to forge Rana Prestige Industry Ltd ordinary resolution, which was purported to have been signed by one Madam Rasheedatu.

Udozie also alleged that on November 22 2005, the defendants forged Cooperate Affairs Commission form CAC 17 and also alleged that it was signed by Madam Rasheedatu.

The prosecutor further stated that on the same date the defendants uttered the forged document of first cooperate affairs form which was also purported to have been signed by the same Rasheedatu to the commission as genuine.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge against them.

The counsel to the first and second defendants, Rickey Tarfa,  urged the court to grant them bail in the most liberal term as they were still presumed innocent until  proven guilty.

The counsel to EFCC urged the court to dismiss the bail application filed by the first and second defendants and order for accelerated trial, claiming that the first and second defendants had jumped bail before.

He said he was not opposing the third defendant’s bail application dated  October 4, adding that the lawyer who represented himself had been visiting EFCC office since bail was granted to him.

In her ruling, the judge granted the third defendant bail in self recognition, while she admitted the first and second defendants on bail in the sum of N500,000 each and adjourned till February 5 and 11, 2016, for trial.

Source: Vanguard