Police arraign ex-Punch staff for allegedly defrauding 2 men of N950m
The police on Thursday in Lagos arraigned a 45-year-old former staff of Punch Nig. Ltd., Ogunbanjo Mikhail, for allegedly defrauded two men to the tune of N950 million.
Ogunbanjo, a former Head of Copy Sales at Punch, was arraigned before a Chief Magistrates Court in Sabo-Yaba on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and stealing.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutor Rita Momah, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, told the court that the defendant committed the offences from January 2017 to December 2022 at Ikorodu, Lagos State.
She said the defendant obtained N450 million from one Mr Olusola lkuyajesin and N500 million from one Mr Durodola Balogun under false pretences of using the money to buy them stationeries.
According to her, Ogunbanjo forged the organisation’s Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) to carry out the acts, in contravention of Sections 287, 314 and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatubosun admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
She ordered that the defendant must deposit his international passport with the court.
The Chief Magistrate also ordered that one of the surties must have a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
She adjourned the case until April 5 for substantive hearing.
