The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday brought two persons, said to be employees of the MTN Nigeria Limited, before a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for alleged N1.3bn theft.

The accused, according to the charge filed before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, are Victor Akintunde and Gani Mustapha.

The prosecuting counsel, Emmanuel Jackson, who arraigned the accused on 17 counts bordering on theft, said the stolen sum belonged to members of the MTN Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, MEMCOS.

Jackson told the court that Akintunde and Mustapha, who were the association’s president and secretary respectively, committed the alleged crime between April and September, 2009 in Lagos.

Charged along with them are a property developer, Mutairu Babatunde and two companies – Primavera Engineering and Construction Limited and Mabo Dredging Limited.

Jackson, while briefing the court, said Akintunde and Mustapha fraudulently obtained the stolen money as sundry payments to facilitate the purchase of 13 hectares of land at Okun Ajah community in Lagos on behalf of MEMCOS members.

According to him, the defendants forged the signature of one Chief Atiku Adigun on a deed of assignment to facilitate the fraud.

He said they also issued a dud First Bank cheque in the sum of N427m in favour of MEMCOS on April 25, 2009.

Jackson said, “The offence is contrary to sections 390(9), 467 and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003 and Section 1(1) (a) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap D11, Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The prosecutor told Justice Lawal-Akapo that Akintunde and Mustapha had been granted bail in the sum of N50m each before Justice Kudirat Jose of the same court, adding that the absence of Babatunde had prevented their arraignment.

He therefore prayed the court to allow the defendants to take their pleas.

Upon arraignment, however, the accused persons pleaded not guilty.

While allowing Akintunde and Mustapha to maintain their earlier bail, Justice Lawal-Akapo ordered the remand of Babatunde in the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, pending the hearing of his bail application slated for December 16.

-Punch