$1.69m Fraud Charge: Court Frees Fred Ajudua

Reprieve came the way of Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, after a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja this morning discharged him of an alleged $1.69m fraud allegation brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Ajudua in the matter is standing trial along with one Charles Orie for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen of 1.69 million dollars.

The EFCC had alleged that the defendants deceived the victims by claiming that the money was for sundry payments to various government officials.
The EFCC further alleged that the defendants claimed that the payments would help them to facilitate a contract worth 18 million dollars on behalf of the complainants.

While the matter lasted, Ajudua who has been who has been critically ill was refused bail by the court.
At today’s proceeding, the EFCC again failed to produce any of the foreign witnesses in the matter. EFCC counsels, Mrs E.A Sanusi told the court that some of the principal witnesses in the matter had vehemently refused to come to Nigerian to give evidence in the matter sighting the recent outbreak of Ebola in the country.

She said that in the circumstance, the EFCC has not other option but to ask for the withdrawal of the charge.

Following the EFCC submission, Justice Kudirat Ajose subsequently ordered that Ajudua be discharged of the charges.

A sister case where Ajudua is accused of allegedly defrauding Former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi of $8.4 while they were both in custody at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos between November 2004 and June 2005 is still before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.

Source:
PM News