Ayodele Olalere
A 21-year-old lady, Ms Cynthia Chioma Atuonah, has landed in prison for allegedly defrauding a German citizen, Rudolf Markus Kampf, of the sum of N110 million.
The lady was sent to prison, on Monday, by Justice Yelim Bogoro of a Lagos Federal High Court, who ordered her to be remanded in prison custody.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to a five count charge of obtaining by false pretence, fraud and unlawful conversation made against her by the Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, Lagos.
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The prosecutor, Mr. Henry Obiazi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences between January and February 2022.
He further told the court that the defendant succeeded in defrauding the victim by making false claims that she wanted to invest the monies in Spa business.
She allegedly received the monies in the series of $10,000; $50,000; $100, 000; and $45,000.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and section 18 (3) of money Laundering (prevention and prohibition) Act, 2022.
Following the defendant’s not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date. He also urged the court to remand the defendant till the determination of the charges against her.
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However, lawyer to the defendant, N Ugo, 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 ‘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 parties, Justice Bogoro ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services till May 19, when ruling will be delivered on the bail application
