The police on Friday arraigned one Dominic Shara, 52, in a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for allegedly defrauding some people under false pretence.
Shara of Akinjide Plaza, Dutse, Abuja, is facing a four-count-charge of criminal conspiracy, joint act, obtaining money under false pretence and criminal intimidation.
The Prosecutor, Adeniyi Oyeyemi, told the court that the complainant, Adolphus Anum of Surulere, Lagos, wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police on Oct. 17 regarding the alleged offence.
Oyeyemi said that the defendant conspired with others now at large under false pretence and collected N10,996,000 from the complainant and thirty five others.
He said that the suspect had posed as a travel agent and collected the money, promising to take them to Jerusalem on Christian pilgrimage before this year’s Easter.
He said that the defendant failed to take the complainant and the others to the holy land as promised and did not refund the money to them.
The prosecutor further said that when they demanded for the refund the defendant threatened to “deal” with them.
He said that the offence contravened Sections 96, 79 and 396 of the Penal Code as well as Section 1(a) of the Advance Free Fraud and Fraud-related Act.
The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Senior Magistrate, Mr Teribo Jim, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with one reliable surety in like sum.
He ordered that the surety must be a civil servant that resided within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned the case until Dec. 12 for hearing. (NAN)
