EFCC will charge LT Colonel Obi, a bank GM, and Chevron employees with fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is set to arraign Lt. Colonel (retired) Paul Edor Obi, the General Manager/Regional Head at Fidelity Bank Plc, Adewale Mesioye, over allegations of forgery and possession of fraudulent documents.

The duo are to be docked alongside two other suspects: one Mr Raymond Wilcox (Former staff of Chevron and CEO of Beyond Energy Resources Limited (BERL), and Felix Onyakhamoh (former staff of Oceanic Bank and Sun Trust Bank Limited) before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos.

According to the charge sheet before Justice Mojisola Dada, the four defendants are slated to be arraigned on an eleven count charge of conspiracy, forgery, and possession and use of false document.

As contained in the charge, the EFCC said that the defendants committed the alleged offence sometime in 2021 in Lagos.

The anti-graft agency stated that the defendants, with intent to defraud, knowingly forged a form CAC 2A Return of Allotment of Dreamworld Leisures Limited.

Part of the charge read: “That You, Onyakhamoh, Mesioye, Edor obi and Wilcox sometimes in 2021 in Lagos, with intent to defraud knowingly forged a documents title ‘The Federal Republic of Nigeria companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 Company Limited By Shares, Special Resolution of DreamWorld Leisure Limited Dated 10th day of September 2020.

“The four defendants, sometimes in 2022 in Lagos, with intent to defraud knowingly used a false document titled ‘The Federal Republic of Nigeria companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 Company Limited By Shares, Special Resolution of DreamWorld Leisure Limited dated 10th day of September 2020 at the Corporate Affairs Commission.

“Also the defendants, with intent to defraud knowingly forged a documents titled ‘Deed of Surrender dated 11th day of November 2020’ purporting the said document to have emanated from Oceanic bank international PLC”.

However, the charges was sequel to a petition signed on behalf of UFC International Limited and Wemtab Limited, both of whom are Shareholders of Dreamworld Leisure limited, dated March 26, 2021 titled: “a petition against some directors and company secretary of Dreamworld Leisure Limited”.

The petition stated: “It recently came to our clients notice that sometime in November 2020, conspirators caused to be filed at the CAC on 17 November 2020 a return a allotment form (Form CAC 2A) dated 14 September 2020, purportedly evidencing the allotment to various persons of (a) 77, 500, 000 ordinary shares previously held by Oceanic Bank International Plc (Oceanic Bank”) in the company (the “Oceanic Shares”)…”

However, when the matter was mentioned for arraignment yesterday, the EFCC prosecutor, Franklin Ofoma, informed the court that the defendants, who were meant to be arraigned, were absent.

Mr. Ofoma said that the defendants were in the custody of the defence counsel, Lawrence Imolode.

“My Lord, when we were about to arraign the defendants, the defence counsel filed a preliminary objection. Besides, the defendants are in his custody,” the prosecutor said.

Responding, Imolode told the court that the information got to him very late so he couldn’t inform his client.

Addressing both counsels, Justice Dada ordered the EFCC to serve the defendants personally before bringing them to court for arraignment.

The judge said that a date would be allocated once the defendants have been properly served by the EFCC.

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