A company and its director have been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged issuance of a N10 million dud cheque used to obtain credit.
The Abuja Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arraigned Rhas Nigeria Limited and its director, Liwa Sarirddine, before Justice A.H. Musa of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on a one-count charge bordering on the alleged issuance of a dishonoured cheque.
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants allegedly obtained a credit facility of N10 million from Ismail and Partners in 2020 by issuing a cheque dated October 15, 2020. The cheque was subsequently returned unpaid when presented for payment within the stipulated three-month period due to insufficient funds.
The charge reads:
“That you, Rhas Nigeria Limited and Liwa Sarirddine (being the director of the said Rhas Nigeria Limited), sometime in 2020 in Abuja within the judicial division of this Honourable Court did obtain credit from Ismail and Partners in the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) by means of a cheque dated 15/10/2020 which, when presented for payment within three months of the date, was dishonoured and returned on the ground that there was no sufficient credit standing in the account for which the cheque was drawn, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Sections 1(1)(i) and 1(1)(ii) of the same Act.”
Sarirddine pleaded not guilty to the charge on behalf of himself and the company.
Following the plea, prosecution counsel, Mariya U. Shariff, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case.
Defence counsel, however, applied for bail, a request that was not opposed by the prosecution.
After hearing both parties, Justice Musa admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a Level 10 civil servant, while both sureties are required to depose to affidavits to be verified by the court registrar before the bail conditions can be perfected.
The matter was subsequently adjourned for trial on a date to be communicated by the court.
