Nwude , Two Lawyers Docked at Ikeja High Court, Over Alleged Fraud

A serial fraudster, Emmanuel Nwude, who was convicted in 2005 for defrauding a Brazilian Bank of the sum of $242m, has been arraigned again before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, over alleged fraud.

Nwude was arraigned alongside two lawyers, Emmanuel Ilechukwu and Roland Kalu, before Justice Mojisola Dada, for forging legal documents for a property forfeited to victims of a crime through judgement.

The Defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, were all remanded in prison custody, pending the perfection of the bail conditions granted to the 2nd and 3rd Defendants (Ilechukwu & Kalu), who were said to have 29 years experience each, as legal practitioners.

They are facing 15-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, making documents without authority, dealing with forfeited property without authorisation, and transfer of forfeited property to nominees preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Other charges include; making false statement to a public officer, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, attempt to pervert the course of justice, fabricating evidence, giving false evidence under oath, and giving false information to the EFCC.

According to Mr. Nnaemeka Omewa, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, the Defendants committed the fraud on a prop- erty which had been ordered to be forfeited in a High Court judgement given in 2005, by Justice Joseph Oyewole.

Justice Oyewole had in the judgement, ordered that the property be forfeited to victims of a crime perpetuated by Nwude, the first Defendant.

He said "On Jan. 12, 2011, the Defendants forged a power of attorney issued in the name of Mankris Ventures Ltd, purporting that Mankris Ventures is the owner of the property located at Plot Y, Mobolaji Johnson St., Oregun, Alausa, Lagos.

They did this with the full knowledge that the property was forfeited, as restitution to victims of a crime in a judgement given