Wale Igbintade
Men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos State, yesterday arraigned a 64-year-old Apostle Olawale Ibikunle Talabi before a Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged $94,000 fraud.
The cleric, who has allegedly been on the run since 2017, was arraigned alongside his company, Palilar International Limited, on a two count-charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense the sum of $94, 000.
He was arraigned before Justice Abimbola O. Awogboro.
The police prosecutor, Chukwu Agwu, told the court that sometime in 2013, the defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of $94, 000 from a company, Lead Ore and Copper (Tianji) International Limited, by false pretence of supplying the firm some metric tons of lead ore, which he failed to supply as promised.
The prosecutor further told the court that the offences committed by the defendant are contrary to and punishable under Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.
The defendant denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his not guilty plea, his lawyer, Mr. George Oguntade (SAN), urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms, as the charges of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence are bailable offences.
Oguntade also told the court that the affidavit in support of the bail application demonstrated equivocally that the charges arose from a simple contract.
He stated that when the contract was awarded for the supply of iron ore, money was paid but disappeared into thin air from the third party, who received the money.
Oguntade, while urging the court to grant his client bail, assured the court that the defendant would not jump bail as claimed by the prosecution.
He stated that the defendant, being an Apostle in his church, does not have any criminal record and will always attend court till the final determination of the charges against him.
The prosecutor, Agwu, in his response, urged the court to discountenance the application, adding that the defendant had jumped bail since he was arraigned before a Lagos Chief Magistrate Court in 2017.
Agwu also told the court that the charge before the court was initially filed before a Lagos Magistrate Court, but could not be heard due to the frustrating acts of the defendant.
He urged the court to refuse the application as the defendant has not put before the court sufficient facts to sway the court’s mind to grant such.
However, Justice Awogboro ordered the cleric to be remanded in the custody of the PSFU, and adjourned the matter till October 12, 2021, for ruling on the bail application.
