From Blessing Ibunge, Port Harcourt
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, has remanded one Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe, over alleged dealing on fake investment scheme.
The accused person facing advance fee fraud trial before Justice E.A Obile, was first arraigned in court on July 20, 2020, by the Port Harcourt’s Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
According to the charge, Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe, who allegedly claimed to own Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited is facing a three count bordering on Conspiracy and Obtaining Money by false Pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
When the charge was read before the defendants, they pleaded not guilty.
One of the counts reads: “That you Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe, Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited sometime in 2019 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this honorable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of 179,326,386.62 by inducing unsuspecting members of the public to invest with your companies: Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited, assuring them under a false pretence of making 15% interest on all investment made, a representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
In view of the plea by the defendants, prosecuting Counsel, K. W Chukwuma-Eneh prayed the court to adjourn the matter for commencement of trial.
But counsel to the defendants, G. N Godwins moved an oral application for the bail of the defendants which was opposed by the prosecution on the ground that, the application must be in writing, and properly addressed to the court.
In his ruling, Justice Obile ordered that the 1st defendant (Nkechi) be remanded in prosecution’s custody and adjourned the matter till October 19, 2020 for determination of the bail application.
Mercy ran into trouble when the Commission received a report about the defendant and two others, accusing them of inducing their victims into participating in a fraudulent investment scheme with a fake promise of 15 percent return on investment.
Over N15,000,000.00 was allegedly paid by the unsuspecting ‘investors’ into the defendant’s accounts, Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe with account numbers 2087478165 domiciled in Zenith Bank and Miss Joy Okari Ibiala 2099253758 domiciled in UBA
Further investigation revealed that the defendant spent a total sum of N139,704,097 allegedly collected from subscriber to play sport betting and also paid tithe of N1m to a leading Pentecostal church in Port Harcourt.
