The Federal High Court in Lagos State has dismissed series of applications filed by the CEO of Innoson Motors Nigeria, Innocent Chukwuma, seeking to stop his arrest.
The applications have been stalling the hearing of the motion for Chukwuma’s arrest, which was filed since October 16, 2017
Others included in the forgery charge which the prosecution is seeking for their arrest include Charles Chukwu and Annajekwu Sunny.
NAN reports that all the accused have failed to appear before the court to face trial.
Justice Faji dismissed Innoson boss’s applications to stay proceedings on Friday following a decision of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, which had refused grant an appeal seeking to stay further proceedings in the criminal charge pending before the lower court.
The trial judge, Justice Faji, had on January 11, 2018, ordered a stay of proceedings, in the criminal charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police against the defendants pending the outcome of the appeal filed by Innoson boss and others.
Following the refusal of the Court of Appeal to concede to the defendants’ request, the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaiye, a director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, asked the court for a date for hearing of the motion.
However, following the agreement of the parties, the matter was adjourned till December 7, for hearing of the motion seeking the defendants’ arrest.
AGF had filed a criminal charge against Mr. Chukwuma and four other persons over alleged forgery.
The accused persons are to face a four count-charge bordering on forgery, documents falsification, documents alteration, which was alleged to have been used in obtaining a loan of N2.4 billion from Guaranty Trust bank.
The offences alleged to have been committed by the accused persons are contrary to and punishable under sections 3(6),1(2)(C) of the miscellaneous offences Act Cap. M 17 Laws of the Federation, 2004
In a four-count amended criminal charge marked FHC/L/565/C/2015, AGF alleged that against the accused persons alleged to had between January, 2010 and April, 2011, at Apapa Wharf criminally conspired amongst themselves to wit, falsification of Shipping Documents which they deposited with Mitsui Osk Lines Lagos which was used as collateral for the purpose of clearance of raw materials polyvinylchloride (PVC ) for the production of roof ceiling and other imported items.
The defendants have been in discontinuance and disrespect this court. Instead of answering the charge against them, they have been filing several frivolous applications before the Court.
In a four-count amended criminal charge marked FHC /L/565/C/2015 filed before the court by Mr. Mohammed Saidu Diri a Director from the Office of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice,
It was alleged that the accused persons same time and place did without lawful authority and with intent to defraud, utter the shipping clearance documents to the shipping Line Mitsui Osk Lines which was used as collateral for the purpose of obtaining a loan of N2.4 billion from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), for the purpose of clearing raw material Polyvinylchloride for the production of roof ceiling and other imported items
The accused persons were also alleged to have falsely and fraudulently represented as genuine, the uttered shipping documents and presented same bank to obtain a loan of N2.4 billion. Alleged Forgery: AGF Urges Court to Issue Bench Warrant Against Innoson Motors Boss, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma.
The Chairman of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma, has broken silence on why he withdrew his fundamental rights enforcement lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement Monday, Mr. Chukwuma explained that he withdrew the lawsuit against the anti-graft agency after he learnt that GTBank had allegedly compromised the process.
“GTBank became aware of the pendency of the suit, got all the copies of the processed filed in the suit, then filed a counter affidavit and on December 21 and got it assigned to a complaint judge,” according to the statement by Cornel Osigwe, Head of Corporate Communications at Innoson Group.
He said that an ex parte application he filed before a Lagos court was summarily taken over by GTBank before it was determined.
Mr. Chukwuma filed the ex-parte motion had on December 20 to compel the EFCC to respect his fundamental rights, a day after he was arrested by anti-graft operatives at his residence in Enugu.
He said even though GTBank was not joined in the suit, the bank allegedly sent its legal representatives to pry on the court process filed by Mr. Chukwuma’s lawyers.
Mr. Osigwe said the attention of the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court had been drawn to the matter for a thorough investigation.
Recall that the EFCC slammed fraud charges on Mr. Chukwuma, the industrialist owner of the indigenous auto manufacturer, Innoson Motors.
The allegations border on attempted fraud, stealing, and forgery of shipping and financial documents.
His arrest followed his failure to honour an invitation from the EFCC, the agency said.
Mr. Chukwuma, however, denied receiving any invitation for questioning.
He challenged the EFCC to produce evidence of any invitation sent to him before the public.
The industrialist was released in the evening of December 20, but his trial is expected to commence soon, although no date has been fixed yet.
Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Innoson Group, Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma
The Federal Government has distanced itself from the arrest and detention of the Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Specifically, the anti-graft agency on Wednesday flew Chukwuma by Air Peace airline from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to Lagos after being detained for over 24 hours after being whisked from his Enugu residence. The automaker has, however, alleged that his ordeal was a fallout of his firm’s legal dispute with a new generation bank over a loan taken and repaid some years ago.
There is a judgment debt of about N8 billion in favour of Innoson but an appeal by the bank is pending at the Supreme Court.The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made the denial yesterday while fielding questions from reporters at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
His words: “Relevant agencies are yet to officially informed me of the circumstances that culminated in the alleged arrest of Chukwuma,” adding that the EFCC was yet to brief him. Consequently, he could not give more details on the development.He continued: “In all sincerity, I was not privy to facts that led to the stated arrest. I have not been formally briefed by the relevant agencies.
“One thing I know about Innoson is the fact that there has been a pending case between him and GTBank which case is pending in court and is being prosecuted accordingly. “Other than that, I am not privy to the fact and circumstances that led to the alleged arrest yesterday (Wednesday). So, until I am briefed by the relevant agencies, I am not in the clear position to make any disclosure relating to that.”
However, Chukwuma yesterday returned to Enugu to a rousing reception.Dressed in traditional fabrics, the Innoson boss declared that he was picked like a “common criminal” from his residence by EFCC operatives.
He said: “I thank everybody who fought for this matter because I was surprised that in the early morning of that Tuesday, some armed persons jumped into my house. I thought they were kidnappers or armed robbers but finally I noticed they were EFCC officials.”
It was around 7:30a.m. in the morning. They said they want to arrest me and I joined them to their office and up till now they have not told me my offence.“They arrested me like a criminal and took me to their office in Enugu and from there to the airport on shorts and singlet to Lagos. When I got to their office, they said I should go but they didn’t tell me what I did.”
Also yesterday, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB) described the invasion of the complex of Chukwuma as an insult to Igbo race.
In a statement by its leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, he condemned the condemned the development, noting that the action was hatched by the Federal Government in consonance with its alleged hatred for Ndigbo.
Another 1st from Anambra State, as the long awaited luxury Innoson IVM G80 and G40 have been released by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd, Nigeria’s first indigenous Vehicle Manufacturing Company located in Nnewi, Anambra and owned by Chief Dr Innocent Chukwuma OFR...
Check out more photos below
We have every reason to be proud of our own... Nke A Bu Nke Anyi!
#AnambraOnTheRise
The Charge‘d Affair of Nigeria in Mali, Yara Abdulsalam, says an indigenous motor manufacturing company, Innoson Motors, has signed an MoU with a Malian firm to export 400 locally made vehicles to Mali.
Mr. Abdulsalam made the announcement on Friday in Abuja when he led a delegation of businessmen from Mali to visit the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.
He said during the week, Innoson Motors signed Memorandum of Understanding with Taxi Plus VIP, a Mali-based transport company for the expansion of transport business in that country.
He said the development was the outcome of “Made-in-Nigeria products exhibition” held in Bamako in 2016.
He said the exhibition was facilitated by Ginco Group, a Nigerian firm based in Mali to show case Nigeria’s potentials.
Mr. Abdulsalam said: “From the exhibition, Taxi Plus VIP approached the embassy that they wanted to import vehicles from China but, we told them that we have indigenous company in Nigeria that manufactures vehicles.
“They started talking with Innoson through Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) and the deal was later finalised.
“Mali is the centre of Francophone countries and has boundary with eight countries.
“If the MoU materialises, it will positively affect all other countries and will increase Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the Minister expressed delight at the development and described it as “the beginning of industrial revolution in Nigeria.’’
He said it was a good development that would enhance job creation and stem the rate at which youths embark on dangerous adventure to Europe in search greener pasture.
“So what you are achieving can be the beginning of revolution in our country; the longest journey has to start from somewhere.
“What you are doing represents a giant leap for Africa because it involved trading among ourselves.
“What I found so interesting is that we are trading at the highest technology level with the export of automobile, cars and buses to one another.
“As we are now laying the foundation, the sky is the limit for Africa; it means we have broken that glass ceiling that is holding us down,” he said.
Mr. Onyeama commended the Nigerian embassy in Mali for providing the institutional support for the MoU.
“This is what the ministry wants Nigerian embassies around the world to be doing; to serve as small hub to promote trade relationship.’’
He said one of the ministry’s goals was to be a hub to promote Nigerian export.
“We have many offices around the world and we want to leverage on that to promote Nigerian goods,” he said
The Managing Director of Ginco Group, Godwin Oguzie, said the 2016 Made- in-Nigeria exhibition in Bamako, was to enable Nigerian manufacturers know that opportunity awaited them in Mali to sell their products
He said he led Taxi Plus VIP to sign the historic MoU with Innoson Motors to export 400 vehicles to Mali.
“We sign an MOU with Innoson Manufacturing Company to enable Taxi Plus increase its capacity to provide urban transportation system in Bamako.
“This is the first time a country in Africa is exporting locally manufactured vehicles to another country,” he said.
Source
NAN
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
