N37m fraud: Court remands fake NNPC official

TRACKING_____A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has remanded Ebioenang Monday George, in prison custody for posing as an official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

EFCC said George, through his company, Bravem Service Limited, allegedly posed as an NNPC official and obtained N37 million from his victim in order to supply them two barrels of Bonny Light Crude.

When the matter came up, the court, presided by Justice E. A. Obile, ordered that George be remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.

The matter was adjourned till April 7, 2020 for commencement of trial.

One of the charges against him reads: “That you, Ebioenang Monday George, being the managing director of Bravem Services Limited on or about 11th March, 2015, at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N19,000,000 from ICS Energy Limited through your company’s account, Bravem Services Limited, domiciled in First Bank Plc with account number 2016700822 by false pretence, when you presented yourself as a staff of NNPC and capable of selling one cargo carrying 2000,000 barrels of Bonny Light crude oil, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act. No 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Earlier, the defendant, who was docked alongside his company, Bravem Services Limited, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Due to his not guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, N. A. Dodo, urged the court to fix a date for commencement of trial, but the defence counsel, N. A. Obiecheton, prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable her to file an application for the bail of the defendant.

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