Business Man Prevented From Fleeing To The US After Duping GT Bank Of #125 Million

Mr Andrew Warri has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC on a seven count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining by false pretense and issuance of cheques.

Warri was arraigned on Friday, June 25, 2021, alongside two companies: A.M. Projects Consultancy Limited and Ranez Medical Consultancy Limited.

One of the counts reads: “Andrew Warri, A.M. Projects Consultancy Limited, sometime in May 2012 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of N125,000,000 from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc under the guise that the proceeds of the Rural Health Care and Referral contract with Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will be domiciled in your account with Guaranty Trust Bank, the said pretense you knew, or ought to have known is false.”

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Another count reads: “Andrew Warri, Ranez Medical Consultancy Limited, on or about 28th October 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, issued a Zenith Bank cheque for the sum of N10,000,000 payable to A.M. Projects Consultancy Limited, in favor of Guaranty Trust Bank, which upon presentation for payment was dishonored on the grounds that no sufficient funds were standing to your credit.”

The accused pleaded “not guilty” to the charges

Following this, the prosecuting counsel, Franklin Ofoma, asked the court for a date for the commencement of trial, as the prosecution was to prove its case against the defendant.

Nelson Imoh, counsel for Warri, informed the Court that the bail application for his client was before the Court.

Ofoma, however, vehemently opposed the application for bail in his oral argument.

He argued that the defendant was a flight risk, as he had resisted when operatives of the EFCC went to his office to effect his arrest.

“His arrest was aborted and the EFCC had to watch list the defendant with the DSS, Immigration, Customs and other local and international law enforcement agencies, just to ensure his attendance,” he said.

According to Ofoma, the defendant was trying to abscond to the United States, but in the process, he was informed that he could not travel as he was on a watch list.

Thereafter, Justice Solebo ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional facility pending release on bail and adjourned the case till July 1, 2021.

Now both the prosecutor, and defendant await the next hearing of the case by July 1, 2021.

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