Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed November 26 for the trial of Dr. Bright Ikechukwu Echefu and Dr. Felix Nnamdi Ignoanuga, said to be Chief Executives of the Telecom Satellites Television (TSTV), over fraudulent charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
Echefu who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer and Dr Felix Nnamdi Ignoanuga, the Executive Director of the telecoms company, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on June 6, 2024, on nine count of alleged advanced fee fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/254/23, had Telecom Satellites Limited and another company, Briechberg Investment Limited, also cited as 3rd and 4th defendants, respectively.
Justice Ekwo was supposed to have commenced trial of the defendants on July 15, 2024 but for an official engagement which took him out of Abuja.
The Registrar of the court had informed the lawyers, accused persons and other litigants that dates for their matters would be communicated to them by the Judge upon his return to Abuja.
In a notice of trial date communicated to the parties, Justice Ekwo said that November 26 has been scheduled for the EFCC to open their case against the defendants.
The November date was said to have been picked by the Judge following the yearly vacation of the Federal High that will end in October this year.
The EFCC, among other things, alleged that the defendants the two men had on May 18, 2020 committed money laundering bordering on tax invasion, unremitted VAT, Company income tax and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deducted from the salaries of 165 workers punishable under section 15 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended in 2012.
They were alleged to have diverted to their personal use, tax funds, to the tune of N33. 9M, N13. 5M and N19. 4M, payable to the federal government in breach of section 15 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
Alao, the EFCC alleged that they 1st defendant, Dr. Echefu, defrauded a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Turaki Kabir Tanimu, of the sum of N960m 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 the sum of N150M from Tanimu who is the Managing Director of Kalsiyam Farm as loan to acquire modern equipment for his telecom company.
EFCC added that the said loan was paid into Briechberg Investment Limited’s account number: 1015561485, domiciled at Zenith Bank.
On the same day, the accused person was said to have obtained another N380M paid into the same account for the same purpose while another N400M 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.
Still on the same May 18, 2020, Turaki SAN, while acting as Managing Director of K. T Turake made two payments of N15M each into the Briechberg Investment Limited bank account belonging to Dr Bright Ikechukwu Echefu for the same purpose.
As at the time the transactions took place, Turaki, SAN, who was present in court during the arraignment of the defendants, was a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It would be recalled however that the two accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, applied for the defendants to be remanded in custody, however, following an application by their lawyer, Mr. Eyitayo Fatigun, SAN, the court okayed their release on administrative bail, earlier handed to them by the EFCC.
He, however, warned the defendant not to travel out of the country without the permission of the court, adding that the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, should be notified of the seizure of their international passports.