Alleged fraud: First Nation Airways, Dana MD, others face trial
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, adjourned till August 2, 2021 for adoption of written addresses in the alleged N1.7bn fraud trial involving Kayode Odukoya, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Airways Limited.
Odukoya was re-arraigned alongside First Nation Airways Limited and Bellview Airlines Limited on a seven-count charge bordering on forgery, use of false document, perjury, stealing and obtaining credit by fraud contrary to sections 85(1), 86(1), 278(1)&(b), 285(1), 313(1)(a) &(b),361(1)(a)& (b),363 (1) and 364(1) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
One of the counts reads: “Kayode Odukoya and First Nation Airways, on or about the 29th day of August, 2013 in Lagos, within the lkeja Judicial Division, by means of fraud obtained the credit of N307,268,406.43 for yourselves from Skye Bank Plc (Now Polaris Bank Ltd) and made the bank to incur liability by presenting a Memorandum of Loss at Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy registered as No.33 at page 33 In Volume 1011 at the Lagos State Registry, Alausa, Ikeja In respect of property being and situate at No. 29 Oduduwa Street, lkeja GRA. Lagos State.”
Another count reads: “Kayode Odukoya, First Nation Airways Limited and Bellview Airlines Limited, on or about the 7th day of October, 2016 in Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1, 742,994,962.04 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Forty-one Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-two Naira, Four Kobo) property of Skye Bank Plc.”
He pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges.
Similarly, the Federal Government will, on Oct. 13, arraign the Managing Director (MD), Dana Air, Hathiramani Jacky Ranesh, in a Federal High Court, Abuja on allegations bordering on fraud.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu fixed the date after counsel to the defendant, Ade Adedeji, SAN, told the court that the absence of his client in court was to the knowledge of the prosecution.
Our Correspondent reports that the arraignment of Ramesh and two others, in suit number CR/101/21, was in the cause list for Wednesday’s proceeding.
The MD of Dana Air is the first defendant in the suit.
Although other defendants in the matter were in the court, Ramesh was absent.
However, when the matter was called, counsel to the 1st defendant, Adedeji, said he was in court to represent Ramesh after they were served with the notice of arraignment.
The lawyer said his client was not in the country. He said counsel to the prosecution also knew that Ramesh would not be able to take his plea as a high court in Lagos State where the defendant was also facing a trial in another matter had adjourned as a result of the trip.
The senior lawyer stated that if his office had known that the matter was slated for today’s sitting, he would have politely declined to accept the service.
“The charge before this honourable court is a serious matter.
“We came in from Lagos just to come and explain to your lordship the circumstances that informed our acceptance of service without knowing that the date is coming so soon.
“We didn’t know before we accepted it. We have an option not to accept this but as officer in the temple of justice, we felt we are under obligation to accept on his (Ramesh’s) behalf.
“But to the knowledge of counsel to the prosecution, the principal defendant is not in the country which was made known to the prosecution.
“It is on the basis of these circumstances that we shall be appealing to your lordship for an adjournment my lord to enable the defendant appear before this honourable court,” he said.
Counsel to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Wilson Michelangelo, did not oppose the request for an adjournment.
Justice Egwuatu then fixed Oct. 13 for arraignment of the defendants.
