Posted by Soni Daniel, Port Harcourt on
A pastor with a growing church in Port Harcourt has been remanded in prison custody for defrauding a businessman to the tune of N2 million.
A pastor with a growing church in Port Harcourt has been remanded in prison custody for defrauding a businessman to the tune of N2 million.
The pastor, whose name was given as Johnson Asa-rawa, was refused bail by a Port Harcourt Magistrates' Court on Monday due to what the court described as serious offence.
Asarawa, who is facing a five-count charge of conspiracy and fraud, is alleged to have connived with one Charles, now at large to commit fraud between June 12 and 30, 2004 at No.7, Oromineke Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt.
Asarawa is accused of demanding and collecting the sum of N800,000 from one Christopher Ekeh with the intent of executing a contract, when he knew that he was lying, thereby committing an offence under Section 419 (1) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 1995.
It said that the accused person at the same place and time issued a fake bank cheque on June 30, 2004 to one Christopher Ekeh, when he knew that the cheque was fake, thereby committing an offence.
The prosecution also alleged that the accused person on August 6, 2004 issued another fake cheque to the tune of N1.2 million in favour of Christopher Ekeh, knowing that he did not have sufficient credit in his account, thereby committing an offence under Section 1(1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheques Act of 1990.
Although the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, Senior Magistrate Addo Dappa asked the case file to be forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecutor for advice and withdrew the bail she had earlier granted the pastor.
The case has been adjourned until February 12, 2005 for briefing by the DPP.
The Punch, Tuesday, February 01, 2005