New Telegraph

Court orders lawyer to produce suspect in $32m fraud case

 

Akeem Nafiu

Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a lawyer, Kehinde Awowole, to produce a businesswoman, Princess Toyin Kolade, who was allegedly involved in a $32 million fraud, in court on December 3, 2021.

Kolade is one of 11 others facing a 10-count charge of $32 million fraud preferred against them by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF).

The defendants include four Indians, Prem Garg, Devashish Garg, Bhagwan Simgh Rawat and Mukul Tyagi, and two Britons – Marcus Wade and Andrew Fairie, said to be at large.

The others, apart from Kolade, are: Metal Africa Steel Products Ltd, Wilben Trade Ltd, Fisolak Global Resources Ltd and Kannu Aditya India Ltd.

The lawyer had undertaken to produce the businesswoman in court, when the matter first came up before the judge on November 4, 2021. He, however, failed to do so.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Wednesday, the lawyer pleaded with the court for forgiveness over his failure to produce his client as ordered, saying he was not aware of the pendency of the case.

Awowole also pleaded with the court to forgive his client whom he said was out of jurisdisction. He promised to produce her on the next hearing date.

Responding, thr prosecution’s lawyer, Pius Akutah, insisted that hearing notice was duly served on the businesswoman.

After listening to the submissions of both parties, Justice Lifu ordered Awowole to produce Princess Kolade in court on December 3, for arraignment alongside her co-accused over the alleged offence.

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