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The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on has re-arraigned one Oluremi Phillips for N57, 690,000 fraud before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
This took place on Monday, May 22,2023, even though she had been arraigned before.
Following her previous arraignment on January 27, 2022, Oluremi was previously on trial before Justice S.O. Solebo of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
However, the trial could not be finished prior to Justice Solebo’s retirement in November 2022, which led to the case file being reassigned to Justice Ijelu.
Oluremi and her business, Omritas Energy Limited, were re-arrested on a five-count charge of theft and issuing fake checks totaling N57, 690,000.
Count one reads: “Oluremi Ebun Philips and Omritas Energy Limited, sometime in 2016, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently converted and stole the sum of N57, 690,000.00, property of AYM Shafa Limited meant for the supply of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) which you failed to supply.”
Count two reads: “Oluremi Ebun Philips and Omritas Energy Limited, on or about the 10th of April 2017 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly issued a Diamond Bank cheque of Nigeria Plc for the sum of N14, 298,075.00 payable to AYM Shafa Limited, which when presented for payment was dishonored on the grounds that no sufficient funds were standing to the credit of the account.”
Furthermore, the defendant entered a not guilty plea to each of the charges brought against her.
Due to her plea, the prosecution’s attorney, T.J. Banjo, requested a trial date from the court and also asked the judge to order the defendant, who also represents the second defendant, to be detained at a correctional facility pending the trial date.
Although his client was on trial before Justice Solebo, defense attorney Akin Olatunji informed the court that his client had been granted bail on March 18, 2022.
Akin said after the defendant had been at the Correctional Centre for two months, they were able to perfect the bail, because the defendant does not pose a flight risk,
He humbly urged his lordship to allow the defendant to continue with the previous bail.
However, the prosecution attorney objected, saying, “Your lordship now sits on the matter. The court is a court of records, and the defendant has not submitted any bail applications.”
The trial judge granted the defendant bail after hearing the arguments from both sides and reviewing the records of the previous court’s proceedings, including retired Justice Solebo’s decision on bail.
“I am satisfied that the conditions are adequate,” the judge declared.
He further stated that the court hereby accepts the bail requirements. He said “the first defendant shall continue to enjoy the same before this court, the bail conditions having been perfected by the defendant.”
Trial dates were set for July 4 and June 28 and 29, 2023, respectively.
Source: TheStreetJournal | Read More
