2 LG Officials Face Trial For Fraud

Two officials of Ojo Local Government Education Authority LGEA in Lagos State, Dabiri Fausat Mojisola and Akinjoleye Abel alleged to have used fictitious document of some of the LGEA to defraud a finance company, Credit Direct Limited, a member of First City Group to the tune of N32.6 million, have been arraigned before a Lagos High Court.

In a 53-count charge in suit number ID/260c/2011 filed before the court by a prosecuting counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Barrister Kayode Oni, it was alleged that the two accused officers sometime between October 2009 and May 2010 with intent to defraud conspired to obtain various sums of money from Credit Direct Nigeria Limited in the name of serving staff, retired staff and dead staff of Ojo LGEA of Lagos State.

The arraignment of the two accused LGEA officials was sequel to a petition written by the firm, Credit Direct Limited to the chairman of EFCC. In the petition dated 11 July, 2010, the finance company alleged that the two accused persons and their conspirators who are now at large used their members’ names to obtain loan facilities at different times in their company through fraudulent misrepresentation of facts as to the intention and use of the money.

The said various sums of money were obtained from the company by presentation of genuine documents of staff members who have disengaged from the services of Ojo LGEA and high level officers nearing retirement age in their district.

Unfortunately, these non-suspecting staff members had no prior knowledge of loans collected in their names and fake passport photographs affixed on the front page of the loan document which were presented at their office to procure loans.

The staff of Direct Credit discovered the fraud when some Ojo LGEA staff called at their office to complain of wrongful deductions from their salaries.

As at the time the fraud was discovered names of 53 staff members had been used to collect N32.6 million.

Mojisola Dabiri, Head of Accounts Department and Abel Akinjoleye pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Consequently, Mr. Kayode Oni urged the court to fix a date for the trial.

Counsel to the accused persons, M.O.J. Akande told the court that he will soon file an application for bail for his clients.

The presiding judge, Justice A. O. Oluwayemi adjourned the matter till 28 November, 2011 when the trial of the two accused persons will commence.

—Akin Kuponiyi