Man remanded in prison over N2.8 million bounced cheque

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Saviour Inyang before Justice Okon A. Okon of the State High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on a one-count charge bordering on the issuance of bounced cheque.

The charge against him reads, “That you, Saviour Inyang carrying on business under the name and style of “SAVJANE WORLD TRADE VENTURES”, sometimes in 2017 at Uyo within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did obtain credit by issuing a STERLING BANK PLC Cheque No: 08743190 of Savjane World Trade Ventures dated 16/10/2017 with Account No: 0009700544 in the sum of Two million, eight hundred thousand naira only to Ndifreke Okon, carrying on business under the name and style of “NEMVICES NIGERIA ENT” which cheque when presented for payment within three months of issuance, was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in the account to cover the face value of the said cheque”.

In a statement, the EFCC said it received a petition dated June 11, 2018, by Owoidoho Etuk and Ndifreke Oko, alleging that they were contacted by the accused person to supply him with 33,000,000 litres of diesel at N200 per litre, which sums up to a total cost of N6,600,000.

The petitioners said the accused signed their invoice after delivering the product to him and he assured them that they will receive a payment within a month which never happened, and he eventually issued them a cheque for N2.8 million with the promise of paying up the balance after two weeks.

But when they presented the cheque on the agreed date, it was returned unpaid as the account was not funded, and all effort made to recover their money from the accused proved abortive.

Inyang, then allegedly ignored their calls and never bothered to respond to any of their messages to him, hence they petitioned the commission of Savior Inyang’s fraudulent transaction. Inyang pleaded not guilty of the charge.

The prosecuting counsel, J. O. Abolarin Esq. prayed the court to fix a date for trial, to enable the prosecution to prove its case against the accused.

But the defence counsel, Barr. David Akpanofim quickly made an oral bail application, which the prosecution vehemently opposed, on the grounds that which the prosecution vehemently opposed, on the grounds that the accused had failed to appear in court on three previous adjournments.