EFCC Docks Pastor, Other For N500,000 Fraud
Olaoluwa Folalu
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday arraigned a pastor, Emmanuel Anga, and Atin Victor Generous, before Justice Abubakar Jauro of the Gombe State High Court, Gombe State on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N500,000.
Anga and Generous, are alleged to have in November 2013 deceived David Madison, into believing that they were employees of a foreign exchange business – Gora Commanding Resources, which they claimed belonged to Philemon Gora (still at large).
Madison was lured into believing that his investment of N500,000 would yield 10 per cent as returns on a monthly basis. He was to however discover later that the 10 per cent on his capital reflected on his account only in the first month. All attempts to get his money back, however, proved abortive.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Pastor Emmanuel Markus Anga, Atin Victor Generous and Engr. Philemon Gora (now at large) sometimes in November 2013 at Gombe, Gombe State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did fraudulently obtain the sum of N500,000 from one Mr. David Madison under false pretence that the said sum was to be invested in FOREX trading, which sum you never invested, instead diverted same to your own personal use, thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, LFN 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The prosecuting counsel, S. M. Aliyu asked the court for a trial date and also prayed the court to remand the accused persons to prison custody.
The defense counsel, Y. P. Malum, who held brief for the substantive counsel, I. G. Turaki, filed an application for the bail of the accused persons and urged the court to entertain same. Aliyu, however, opposed the bail application on the grounds that he was not served same.
Justice Jauro, thereafter, adjourned till September 30, 2015 for hearing of the bail application, and ordered the accused persons be remanded in prison custody.