A suspected Malaysian fraudster, Tan Ah Chai Richard, has been arrested and arraigned alongside his company, Coastal Asia Investments Limited in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Tan Ah Chai Richard alongside his company, Coastal Asia Investments Limited, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in lkeja, Lagos on a five-count charge bordering on forgery, use of false document, conspiracy to forge and an attempt to obtain money by false pretence to the tune of €250,000,000.00.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Tan Ah Chai Richard, Coastal Asia Investments Limited and Dr. Sawang Jana (still at large), on or about the 27th September, 2018 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, conspired to commit felony to wit: forgery of Swift Telex Advice dated 27th September, 2018, indicating transfer of the sum of €250,000,000 to Coastal Asia Investments Limited account with Polaris Bank Plc (formerly Skye Bank Plc) from HSBC Bank Plc, London, United Kingdom.”

Another count reads: “That you, Tan Ah Chai Richard, Coastal Asia Investments Limited and Dr. Sawang Jana (still at large), on or about the 27th September, 2018 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudulently used a false document to wit: a Swift Telex Advice dated 27th September, 2018, indicating transfer of the sum of €250,000,000.00 to Coastal Asia Investments Limited account with Polaris Bank Plc (formerly Skye Bank Plc), which you purported to be from HSBC Bank, London, United Kingdom by submitting the Swift Telex Advice to Chioma Omamegbe of Polaris Bank Plc (formerly Skye Bank Plc).”

The defendant, a Malaysian, pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against him by the Commission.

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Bashir M. Kamil, asked for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the defendant in prison.

Counsel to the defendant, A. B. Onifade, told the court that he was served with the charge by the prosecution only on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 and that he would apply for the defendant’s bail after the proceedings.

He, therefore, urged the court to remand the defendant in the EFCC custody pending the determination of the case.

However, Kamil, objected to the prayer of Onifade, stressing that the Commission’s detention facilities were already overstretched.

Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the case to June 28, July 2 and 8, 2019 for commencement of trial, and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ikoyi Prison.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on May 22, 2019 arraigned one Abubakar Isiyaku before Justice Sa’adatu Ibrahim of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano, Kano State on a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.

Isiyaku was arrested by EFCC operatives following a petition by the nominal complainant Mohammad Adamu Babandaji, who alleged that sometimes in April 2017, he received a friend request on FaceBook from the defendant who posed as a former class mate whom he went to school with.

Babandaji innocently accepted the friend request thinking that it was his lady friend.

Subsequently, Isiyaku started making financial requests from the complainant up to the point that he asked to borrow N3,260,000 which Babandaji graciously transferred to him via his First Bank account.

Isiyaku claimed that his sister was ill and that he needed some money for treatment. After making the payment, Babandji realised that he had been duped.

The charge reads: “That you, Abubakar Isiyaku, sometimes in March 2017, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, misrepresented yourself on Facebook as a female colleague to one Mohammed Babandaji and obtained the sum of ₦3,260,000.00 (Three Million Two Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira only) from him through the First Bank of Nigeria belonging to Aisha Mohammed under the pretence that you had family health challenges, which pretence you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act. 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty” when the charge was read to him.

Prosecuting counsel, Micheal Ojo requested a date for hearing in view of the plea of the defendant.

Defence counsel, T. M. Edema, moved an application for the bail of his client.

Ojo, however, opposed the application in a seven-paragraph counter-affidavit duly deposed to by an operative of the EFCC dated May 21, 2019 praying the court to refuse the application.

After listening to the arguments, Justice Ibrahim, adjourned the case to June 13, 2019 for ruling on bail application and ordered that Isiyaku should be remanded in EFCC custody.