EFCC arraigns Kwara contractor for alleged N31m fraud

LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) Ilorin zonal office on Thursday  arraigned a 61-old contractor,  Joseph Oluwole Komolafe, before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.

Komolafe was arraigned on a  one-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of about N31million.

The EFCC alleged that the defendant diverted the said money from the fund meant to supply laboratory equipment to the University of Ilorin.

The charge against Komolafe reads: “That you, Oluwole Kamolafe, being the alter ego of Destiny Work Limited, sometime in July 2015, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable  court did cheat Femimat Concept Limited the sum of N31, 500,000.00 (Thirty One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) when you intentionally induced Femimat Concept Limited to supply laboratory equipment in respect of a contract worth N128,199,968.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Eight Million  One Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and sixty-Eight Naira) to the University of Ilorin in your stead, which he would not supply but for your inducement and you thereby committed  an offence contrary to section 320 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 322 of the same Penal Code”

The accused person pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

Prosecuting counsel,  A.A Adebayo, however, told Justice Abdulgafar “my Lord,  in view of the plea of not guilty entered by the defendant, the prosecution shall be asking for a trial day to enable us to prove our case against the defendant;  we are also urging your Lordship to remand the accused person in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Facility.”

Lead counsel to the defendant,  A.O Adelodun, also told the presiding judge “My Lord,  we are not objecting to the application seeking for adjournment for prosecution to open its case,  but we are praying your Lordship to allow us to move our oral application for bail.”

After the prosecuting counsel opposed the oral application for the bail of the accused person,  Justice Abdulgafar turned down the oral application for bail and ordered Chief Komolafe to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.

The case has been adjourned till Friday 21th of February for hearing of the bail application.