CRIMES COMMISSION ARRAIGNS 51-YEAR-OLD CONSULTANT FOR N2.4M VISA SCAM
The petitioner alleged that he thereafter, paid N2, 400,000 to the defendant for the job, adding that the visa was refused because the defendant only submitted fake documents, having converted the money paid for the process to his personal use.
Penpushing further reports that, when the complainant approached for a refund since he could not fulfill his own part of the bargain, the defendant issued four cheques totaling N2, 400, 000, while the cheques were, however, returned unpaid due to insufficient funds in the account when they were presented.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Bashirudeen Babalola, sometimes in the month of May 2016, in Osogbo, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently and with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N2,400,000 (Two Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira) only from one Emmanuel Adedokun Adejorin on the pretence that the money is for admission and Residency visa of Akinropo Charles Damilola at the Calgary University, Canada, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence.”
The charges brought against the defendant are contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 1(1) (b) (i) of the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act, CapD11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Penpushing also reports that Babalola pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, and consequent upon his plea, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Shamsudden Bashir, applied for trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison.
The Defence Counsel, J. P. John moved the bail application for his client, and prayed the court to admit him to bail on most liberal terms, while the prosecution, however, raised objections to the application, arguing that the defendant posed a flight risk, as he earlier jumped the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC.
“There is a high risk of the defendant taking flight because when the defendant was granted administrative bail by the EFCC he jumped bail before he was re-arrested. Therefore we urged the court to refuse his application and order for accelerated hearing of his case”, the commission counsel said.
Penpushing also reports that, Justice Akanbi after listening to the argument of both counsels, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N2, 500,000 and one surety in like sum, who must be a Civil Servant either in the Federal or State Civil Service not below grade level 15 or a property owner within the jurisdiction of the court.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to May 7, 2019 and the defendant is to be remanded in prison pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
