BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed November 26 for the trial of the chief executives of Telecom Satellites Limited, TSTV, on charges of advanced fee fraud, money laundering and tax evasion brought against them by the federal government.
The TSTV executives are Dr Bright Echefu, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, and Dr Felix Igboanugo, Executive Director of the telecom satellites company.
Justice Ekwo was said to be out of Abuja on official engagement on July 15 when their trial was to begin by the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, on behalf of the federal government.
The registrar of the court had told lawyers, defendants and other litigants that a date for the trial would be communicated to them by the judge upon his return to Abuja.
However, Justice Ekwo in a notice of trial date communicated to the two defendants, said November 26 had been scheduled for the EFCC to open the case against them.
The November date was said to have been picked by the judge, following the yearly vacation of the court that will end in October.
The TSTV executives were put on trial alongside TSTV and another company, Briechberg Investment Limited by the EFCC on nine-count criminal charges.
Part of the charges are that the two men on May 18, 2020, committed money laundering, tax evasion, unremitted VAT, Company Income Tax and Pay-As-You-Earn, PAYE, deducted from the salaries of 165 workers.
The prosecution said the offences were punishable under Section 15 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, as amended in 2012.
They were alleged to have on May 18, 2020, diverted to their personal use, N33.9 million, N13.5 million and N19.4 million tax payable to the federal government, in breach of Section 15 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
Specifically, Dr Echefu, who is the first defendant, was alleged to have defrauded a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Turaki Tanimu, of N960 million under false pretences.
The charge indicated that Echefu, while acting as the managing director of Briechberg Investment Limited, on May 18, 2020, with intent to defraud obtained N150 million from Tanimu, who is the managing director of Kalsiyam Farm, as loan to acquire modern equipment for his telecom company.
The money was said to have been paid into Briechberg Investment Limited account number 1015561485 domiciled at Zenith Bank.
On the same day, the defendant was said to have obtained another N380 million paid into the same account for the same purpose, while another N400 million was also allegedly secured by the accused the same day and for the same purpose from Tanimu, who is also the MD of BYI General, and paid into the same account.
On the same May 18, 2020, Tanimu, while acting as managing director of K.T Turaki, made two payments of N15 million each into Briechberg Investment Limited bank account belonging to Dr Echefu for the same purpose.
Meanwhile, the defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
Sylvanus Tahir (SAN) is prosecuting the case for the federal government, while Eyitayo Fatigun (SAN) is the defence counsel.
