Two Nigerians, Stanley Okafor, 41; Ogunade Oluwaseun, 40 and a 43 year-old Chinese, Su Donghai, have been charged before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged conspiracy, forgery, fraud of N1 billion and money laundering.
The three men alongside two firms, Wnw Energy Technical Development Limited and Haoti International Limited were charged before the court presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, in an 11 count amended-charge marked FHC/L/695c/2024.
In the charge, the police through the office of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Force, CID Annex Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, stated that the defendants and others at large, conspired among themselves to commit the alleged acts between January, 2020 and April, 2024.
They were also alleged to have fraudulently obtained the sum of N1 billion belonging to Cnots Energy Services Limited, represented by Femi Folayan.
To commit the alleged fraud, all the defendants were alleged to have forged 89 invoices, with the intention to fraudulently defraud CNOTS Energy Services Energy Limited.
Specifically, the first defendant, Stanley Okafor, was accused of falsely depose to an affidavit on Oath on February 13, 2024, at the Lagos State High Court Registry, Lagos, wherein he attached 29 invoice receipts of WNW Energy Technical Development Company Limited.
He was also alleged to have on February 20, 2020 at Lagos, Nigeria, falsely present himself as the Managing Director of CNOTS Energy Technical Development.
The second defendant, Ogunade Oluwaseun, was alleged to have between year 2021 and 2023 at Lagos Nigeria, while acting as CNOTS Energy Services Nigeria Limited’s Chief Financial Officer, deliberately manipulate CNOTS accounting records and inserted fictitious figures in CNOTS accounting record without any corresponding piece of invoices to validate such entries.
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The third defendant, Su Donghai, was also alleged to have between January, 2020 and April, 2024 transferred into a bank account number 2065454879 UBA Plc of one Alikali Vivian, and retained the sum of N1 billion, belonging to CNOTS Energy Services Limited.
The defendants’ alleged offences, according to the prosecution, contravened sections 8; 1(3) and 7(2)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The defendants’ acts also contrary to and punishable under sections 20(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 Act No. 14. And sections 1(1}(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP. M17 LFN 2004.
The prosecution also stated that their actions contravened sections 390(9); 117 and 484 of the Criminal Code Act, LFN 2004.
However, the scheduled arraignment of all the defendants on Monday, was stalled due to the absence of two of the defendants and the prosecutor.
Consequently, based on the letter for adjournment from the prosecutor and lawyers to the defendants, Justice Aluko fixed February 25, for their arraignment.
The 11 counts amended charge against the defendants read: “That you Stanley Tochukwu Okafor ‘M’, Ogunade Oluwaseun ‘M’, SU Donghai ‘M’, WNW Energy Technical Devpt. Co. Limited, HAOTI International Ltd. and others now at large between January, 2020 and April, 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: fraud and money laundering and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
