Suspects defraud Total Cooperative of N107m.............

Three suspects have been arrested by the police Special Fraud Unit for obtaining N107m from Total Staff Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society by false pretences.

The suspects, Linus Shegman of Twidco El-Gado Nigeria Limited and Mr. Kingsley Nwoko of unknown office address allegedly obtained the money under the pretence of using it to import fish into Nigeria.

According the Commissioner of Police in-charge of SFU, Tunde Ogunsakin, Shegman and Nwoko were introduced to the Cooperative Society by its former secretary, Mrs. Nkechi Nwoko, who was also arrested.

 He said, “This introduction was made in 2009 by Nkechi who was a business partner to Shegman. On March 4 2009, Shegman received N28m from Total Cooperative by a First Bank Draft. The second bank draft came a week later on March 13 2009 with another N28m.

“Over the years, the interest accrued from the money which was borrowed from Zenith bank is N49m, making a total of N107m.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that when Shegman was first arrested last year, he pleaded for an extension of time to offset the debt. He was subsequently released on an administrative bail.

Ogunsakin said, “Surprisingly, after Shegman was released, he went to Abuja Federal High Court and sued the Inspector-General of Police, joining me and the investigative police team CSP Saadat and others in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/824/2012 filed on December 17, 2012.

“However, Police Counsel, Barrister E. A. Frank raised the fundamental issue of jurisdiction on 4th February, 2013 that the Federal High Court of Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the applicant’s motion as cause of action took place in Lagos.”

 He said Justice Adetokunbo Ademola of Court 6, in his ruling on the February 21, 2013, struck out the suit, which made it possible for the police to arrest the suspects.