By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned an Indian national, Yuvraj Kumar Mehra before an Ogun state High Court on eight count charges bordering on conspiracy and issuance of dud cheque of N70million (Seventy Million Naira).
The Indian national was arraigned before Justice Olanrawaju Majekobe alongside his firm, Dolphin Steels Nigeria Limited.
According to EFCC, Yuvraj allegedly refused to pay the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc, IBEDC the said sum for power supplied to his company.
The Commission stressed that investigation carried out by its operatives revealed that the defendant issued a total number of thirteen dud cheques for N125, 000, 000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Five Million Naira) to IBEDC, between October 2, 2018 and December 3, 2018.
EFCC stressed that upon persistent effort by IBEDC, the defendant made part payment but reneged in paying the balance of N70million and all attempt to get him to pay were futile.
One of the counts reads: “That you Yuvraj Kumar Mehra, Dolphin Steels Nigeria Limited, Mohit Gupta (at large) and Sushil Kumar (at large), on or about the 5th of December, 2018 at Sango Ota within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired to commit an illegal act to wit: issuance of Dishonoured Cheque, an offence contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30 Laws of Ogun State.”
Another count reads: “That you Yuvraj Kumar Mehra, Dolphin Steels Nigeria Limited, Mohit Gupta (at large) and Sushil Kumar (at large), on or about the 5th of December, 2018 at Sango Ota within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly and fraudulently issued Zenith Bank Plc Cheque No. 2493, dated 30th of November, 2018 in the sum of (10, 000, 000.00) Ten Million Naira only, made payable to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, which when presented for payment was dishonoured on the grounds that no funds or insufficient funds were standing to the credit of the account on which the cheque was draw.”
The Indian pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the EFCC.
Upon his plea, the prosecution counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi asked the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant pending the determination of the case while Counsel to the defendant, Clifford Anuge prayed the court to admit his client to bail as he informed that the bail application had been filed and served on the prosecution and the court.
Justice Majekobe, after listening to both parties, granted Yuvraj bail in the sum of N4.1million and two sureties in the sum of N2, 050, 000 (Two Million, Fifty Thousand Naira) each.
She ordered the sureties to provide the court with their “affidavits of means, passport photographs and one of the sureties must be a resident of Ogun State with landed property” and that the Indian national should deposit his international passport with the court registrar.
The judge however adjourned the case till May 18, 2022 for commencement of trial.
