Justice Yelim Bogoro of a Lagos Federal High Court, today, ordered the remand of a 21-year-old lady, Cynthia Chioma Atuonah, for allegedly defrauding a German citizen, Rudolf Markus Kampf, of the sum of N110 million.
Justice Bogoro ordered the remand of the lady after she pleaded not guilty to five counts charge of obtaining by false pretence, fraud and unlawful conversation made against her by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos.
The prosecutor, Henry Obiazi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences between January and February 2022.
He told the court that the defendant succeeded in defrauding the fraud victim, with false claims that she wanted to invest the monies in the Spa business.
He told the court that the defendant received the monies United States dollars in the series of $10,000; $50,000; $100, 000; and $45,000.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant’s offences contravened Sections section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. And section 18 (3) of the money laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the counts’ charges.
The prosecutor, following the defendant’s not-guilty plea, asked the court for a trial date. He also urged the court to remand the defendant till the determination of the charges against her.
However, the lawyer to the defendant, N. Ugo, informed the court of his client’s bail application, and that he had served the prosecutor, whom he said had equally filed a counter.
He urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms.
But the prosecutor urged the court to discountenance the bail application on the ground that the defendant is a ‘flight risk.
He told the court that the defendant ran away to Dubai after committing the offence and that she only returned after her associates were arrested.
After listening to the parties, Justice Bogoro ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till May 19, when a ruling will be delivered on the bail application.
