Son of a former Governor of old Anambra State Gabriel Onoh and two others were yesterday arraigned at the Federal High Court in Enugu on an eight-count charge of fraud and forgery.
Onoh, a former chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area and former Commissioner in Enugu State, was arraigned with Emeka Okoli and Chukwuemeka Oji, who is said to be at large.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Gabriel Onoh (m), Emeka Okoli (m) and Chukwuemeka Oji (m), now at large, in December 2014, at Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did unlawfully conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; forgery of survey plan, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 546 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP 278 Laws of the Federation 2004.”
The first accused, Onoh, allegedly forged his father’s signature on a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), and used the documents to fraudulently collect N50 million from Chukwubuike Peter Zion over a property sale.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The defence counsel, led by Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN), urged the court to grant his client bail as the alleged offence was bailable. He also complained that his client had been in police custody for some days prior to the arraignment.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Police Superintendent Matthew Omosun, from Force Legal Department, Abuja, who stood in for the Inspector-General of Police, opposed the bail, saying the first accused possesses two passports and so could jump bail.
Justice Mohammed Liman granted the accused bail in the sum of N2 million each and one surety each in like sum.
The surety must also be a respected personality, own a landed property with valid and verifiable documents within the court’s jurisdiction.
Justice Liman ruled that in the alternative, the accused persons could deposit N2 million cash or a bank guarantee of like sum in the custody of the court.
He then remanded the accused in prison custody pending the fulfill
ment of the bail condition and adjourned till July 25 for further hearing.
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