The EFCC on Wednesday arraigned the quartet of Umar Bida, Truth Igogori, Ifenyinwa Nwankwesiri and Ogechukwu Obaji, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on allegation of one million dollars fraud.
The defendants are standing trial on a 9-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence.
They were arraigned alongside four companies: Universal Contractors, Lambda Energy Services Limited, Double Wonder Concept Limited, and ICS Energy Services Limited.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants in 2014 allegedly conspired to defraud Donald Latella of North Park LLC of the money under the pretext of supplying about two million barrels of Bonny Light Crude Oil.
The offence, according to EFCC, contravenes Section 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Upon their plea, Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Onjefu Obe, asked the court for a date to present his witnesses.
He also urged the court to remand the defendants in Kuje Prison pending the commencement of their trial.
On their parts, Mr Ameh Ameh, counsel to the first and fifth defendants and Mr R. O. Attabo standing for six other defendants, orally prayed the court to admit their clients to bail.
Giving her ruling, Justice Binta Nyako held that the court was a court of record and, therefore, asked the defendants’ counsel to file written bail applications before their requests could be considered.
The judge, therefore, ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
Nayako, thereafter adjourned the case till Feb. 16(NAN)