The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former editor of Punch Newspapers, Azubuike Ishekwene, for alleged forgery.
Mr Ishekwene was arraigned on Wednesday before an Ikeja Special Offences Court on 15 counts of criminal charge of conspiracy and forgery.
He was arraigned alongside Olalekan Abdul, Director, Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. and Adeyinka Adewale, who was absent in court. Bolanle Morakinyo, who is at large, is also listed as defendant.
Abdul and Ishekwene were both charged with forgery, use of false document and making documents without authority, while Abdul and Morakinyo are facing charges of forgery and making documents without authority.
Abdul solely faces charges of forgery, use of false document, obtaining money by false pretences and falsification of books and account documents.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
EFCC prosecutor, Mohammed Idris, alleged that Abdul, Ishekwene, Adewale and Bolanle Morakinyo conspired to commit forgery on April 6, 2018.
He said: “The defendants sometimes in 2018 knowingly forged a document titled: ‘Account Opening Document’ dated April 9, 2018, which they purported that it was issued by Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd.
“Abdul and Ishekwene on April 6, 2018, knowingly forged a document titled ‘Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd’ dated April 6, 2018 which they purported was issued by the company.
“On April 6, 2018 Abdul and Ishekwene fraudulently presented the forged Board Resolution to Stanbic IBTC Bank as genuine. Abdul and Morakinyo had also on April 6, 2018 forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd.”
The prosecutor also said that on December 14, 2010, Abdul forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. and presented it to Wema Bank Plc as genuine.
Abdul was also said to have forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. on September 27, 2010, in Lagos and used the document to open an account with Keystone Bank (formerly Bank PHB).
The offences, the prosecutor said, contravened Sections 335(2), 363, 364, 365, 370 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Justice Mojisola Dada granted temporary bail to the defendants for hearing of their bail applications based on “the personal plea of the defence counsel on their attendance in court and the forfeiture of their international passports.”
The case was adjourned to January 31.
