MD, firm in court over N21m oil fraud

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The Economic and Financial Crime Commission has arraigned the Managing Director of Faris Construction Company Limited, Salisu Suleiman, and his company on one count of misappropriation of funds to the tune of N21m.

He was arraigned on Friday, December 15, 2023, before Justice Hadiza Suleiman of the Kano State High Court sitting in Kano.

The lone count charge reads, “That you, Salisu Suleiman, being the Managing Director of Faris Construction Company Limited and Faris Construction Company Limited on or about 15th June, 2021, in Kano, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N21 million being payment for the supply of 125,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, to your construction site in Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe State, by SID Oil and Gas Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him, prompting prosecution counsel, Aisha Habib, to pray the court for a trial date, while the defence counsel, Mardiyya Dawaki, applied for his bail.

Habib opposed the prayer of the defence counsel on the grounds that the defendant had jumped an administrative bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.

Justice Suleiman remanded the defendant in EFCC’s custody and adjourned for hearing on the bail application.

Suleiman allegedly received 125,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, and diesel, on credit from the petitioner, S.I.D Oil and Gas Limited worth N21 million on the ground that he would pay upon receipt of payment from the Yobe State Government for the supply.

He, however, breached the promise after the Yobe State Government had paid him, preferring to lie to the defendant that he had received no payment from the state government.

The petitioner suspected foul play and petitioned the EFCC, even as investigations revealed that the defendant had been paid by the Yobe State Government a long time ago, but misappropriated and diverted the money entirely for his personal use.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has secured 65 court convictions of financial fraudsters from January to date in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

The Sokoto Zonal Commander, Mr Aliyu Yunusa, disclosed this to newsmen during the end-of-year get-together organised by the commission to celebrate its successes on Friday in Sokoto.

Yunusa said the zonal command had surpassed its target of 50 convictions and attributed the successes to staff dedication, sister organisations as Community-Based Organizations and individual support.

He highlighted that the most prevalent cases recorded included impersonations using other persons’ National Identification Numbers in proxy dealings of receiving stolen monies, cloning of Automated Teller Machine cards for third-party money withdrawal and defrauding individuals through false pretenses.

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