lost N1.4 billion in his hotel business and the
Managing Director of the hotel, Mr. Ayoola
Gam Ikon, 49, has been arrested and charged
to court for the alleged fraud.
Operatives of the Inspector General of Police
Monitoring Unit arrested Ikon, the managing
director of Hardley Suites Limited situated at Waziri
Ibrahim Crescent, off Elsie Femi Pearse Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos southwest Nigeria, for
allegedly stealing the N1.4 billion belonging to the
hotel and suites owned by Kanu.
Also arrested along with him over the alleged fraud
is a hotel staff, Oke Samuel. They were arraigned
before an Igbosere Magistrate's court on a 19-count
charge of felony to wit, obtaining money under
false pretence.
The police alleged in charge suit No. K/8/2013 that
Ikon was arrested following a complaint by the
management of Hardley Suites Limited, Nwankwo
Kanu and Ogbonna Kanu, that Ikon between 2005
and 2012 allegedly defrauded them of the sum of
about N1.4 billion on the pretence of using the
money to expand the existing facilities of the hotel
by constructing and furnishing of additional blocks
of 30 suites and conference facilities, but he
allegedly failed to use the money for the purpose
and allegedly converted the money to his personal
use.
He was also alleged to have forged a special
resolution purportedly made by the board of
directors of Hardley Suites Limited to obtain loans
of N187 million, N50 million and N493 million from
Skye Bank Plc without authorization. The offences,
the accused allegedly committed, according to the
prosecutor A.M. Animashaun, contravenes sections
8 (a) 1 (a) of the advanced fee fraud and other
fraud related offences Act 2006 as applicable in
Lagos State.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecutor presented before the court an
application for the remand of the accused persons
in prison custody pending advice from the office of
the directorate of public prosecution, DPP, because
the lower court lacks the jurisdiction to try the
matter.
But the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. O.O. Oshin overruled him with legal facts after quoting copiously from several sections of the criminal justice
administration laws of Lagos State to buttress her claim that the court has the jurisdiction to hear and admit the accused to bail. She admitted the first defendant to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties must be the defendant himself,
the other should be a civil servant on level 16. She
also admitted the second defendant to bail in the
sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties must be a level 16 civil servant
while the other must be working with a reputable
company. She adjourned the matter till 4 April,2013 for mention. The defendants were, however,
moved to Ikoyi Prison, Lagos pending when they would fulfil the bail conditions.
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