Alleged $111,500,000 Fraud: Absence of Defence council stalls Stanley Okafor’s trial
By Chimezie Godfrey
The trial of one Stanley Okafor alongside his company, Larbrador Shipping Services Limited, for an alleged $111,500,000 fraud before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos due to the absence of the defence counsel.
The Head, Media & Publicity, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
He stated,”The trial of one Stanley Okafor alongside his company, Larbrador Shipping Services Limited, for an alleged $111,500,000 fraud before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on an amended nine-count charge bordering on attempt to obtain money by false pretence, forgery, and possession of document containing false pretence could not continue on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 due to the absence of the defence counsel as the presiding judge further adjourned till August 1, 2022 for the defence to open its case.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC accused the defendant of committing the alleged offences said to be contrary to Section 8 (b) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006; Section 361 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, and Section 6, 8 (b) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Act, 2006.”
One of the amended counts reads: “That you, Okafor Stanley and Labrador Shipping Services Ltd sometime between November 2019 and January 2020 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did attempt to obtain the sum of $22,000,000 (Twenty-two Million Dollars) from Zenith Bank Plc by falsely representing that Citi Bank was in receipt of the said sum.”
Another count reads: “That you Okafor Stanley and Labrador Shipping Services Ltd sometime between November 2019 and January 2020 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did attempt to obtain a cumulative sum of $89,500,000 (Eighty-nine Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) from Zenith Bank Plc by falsely representing that Citi Bank was already in receipt of the said sum.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the amended charges.
Justice Taiwo had on June 8, 2022 dismissed his no-case submission and ordered him to open his defence.
The prosecuting counsel, E.E. Iheanacho, informed the court that he got a message from the defence counsel, O. Chiemeke, only this morning that he had a domestic accident and so won’t be in court.
Lucia Alyamor, who held the brief of Chiemeke confirmed same, noting that her principal was not able to make it to court due to the said domestic.
Iheanacho, however, noted that in the said message the defence counsel did not state the nature of the said domestic accident.
Thereafter, Justice Taiwo fuether adjourned till August 1, 2022 for the defence to open its case.
