The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, arraigned the 41-year-old Managing Director of Bravem Services Limited, Ebioenang George, before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for his alleged involvement in a N37m oil fraud.
George was said to have obtained the money from his victims on the pretext of supplying them with two million barrels of Bonny Light Crude.
He was brought before Justice E. A. Obile by the Port Harcourt zonal office of the EFCC on 23 counts bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretenses.
George, through his company, Bravem Service Limited, while posing as an employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, allegedly obtained N37m from his victims on the pretext of supplying them with two million barrels of Bonny Light crude.
The charges read in part: “That you, Ebioenang Monday George, being the Managing Director of Bravem Services Limited, on or about March 11, 2015, at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N19m from the ICS Energy Limited through your company’s account, Bravem Services Limited, domiciled in First Bank with account number 2016700822 by false pretenses, when you presented yourself as an employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and capable of selling one cargo carrying two million barrels of Bonny Light crude oil, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act. No 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
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The defendant, who was arraigned alongside his company, Bravem Services Limited, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Based on the defendant’s plea, the prosecuting counsel, N. A. Dodo, urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
But the defense counsel, N. A. Obiecheton, prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable her file a bail application for the defendant.
Justice Obile, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, while the matter was adjourned till April 7, 2020, for the commencement of trial.