The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 26, 2014, arraigned one Christopher Nduka before Justice Tukur Muhammed of Kaduna State High Court on one count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque to the tune of 982,000 Naira.
The accused pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.
The count reads:
“…that you Christopher Nduka on or about the 29th July, 2011 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kaduna State knowingly and fraudulently issued a cheque No. 05079552 dated 22nd July, 2011 in the sum of Nine Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand Naira only payable to Zitros Health Nigeria Limited from account No. 1120805582 domiciled at Equitorial Trust Bank, knowing that there is no fund standing to the credit of the said account and the cheque was returned unpaid upon presentation to the bank and thereby committing an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (1) (b) of the dishonoured cheque offences Act CAP D 11 Laws of the Federation 2004.”
Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, Musa Isah, urged the court to fix a date for trial to commence.
However, the defence counsel, H.U Gimba, prayed the court to admit the accused person to bail saying the alleged offence is bailable.
Isah objected to the bail application on the ground that, the accused person had failed to honour the terms of administrative bail earlier granted him by the Commission. The prosecuting counsel argued that the accused, if admitted to bail, would likely make himself unavailable for trial.
Justice Muhammed after listening to the argument of both counsel, granted the accused person bail in the sum of N500, 000 and a surety in like sum who must be a level 12 civil servant.
The surety must have evidence of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. The accused person must also deposit his international passport with the registrar of the court.
The case was adjourned to November 28, 2014 for commencement of trial.
