Justice Sherifat Solebo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos, yesterday, remanded a prophetess, Linda Mabi-Praise, at the Kirikiri Female Prisons for allegedly swindling a company of N500,000 through a diesel scam.
The Prophetess was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on an eight count charge of stealing, obtaining money by false pretence and issuance of dud cheques.
According to EFCC, Mabi-Praise of Temple of Praise Church located at Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, Lagos, has at least three related fraud cases before two justices of the Special Court.
Prosecuting counsel, Mr. Frank Ofoma, told the court that Mabi-Praise and her company, Mutano Energy Ltd., committed the alleged offences in 2017 in Lagos. The anti-graft agency claimed that the defendant received N503.3 million in five tranches from the complainant, Tophara Ventures Nigeria Ltd., and subsequently issued three dud cheques to the company. Ofoma said: “On April 4, 2017, the defendants fraudulently obtained N80 million from Tophara Ventures Nigeria Ltd., by falsely representing to the company that the money was for costs of diesel importation. “On April 24, 2017 the defendants falsely obtained N238.2 million from the complainant by claiming that the funds were for the purpose of diesel trade and supply. “On April 24, 2017, the defendants dishonestly stole and converted N137.1 million from the complainant and sometime in 2017, she also stole N48 million from Tophara Ventures Nigeria Ltd.”
The prosecution said the prophetess with an intent to defraud, had on May 3, 2017, issued three dud cheques to Tophara Ventures. Justice Sherifat Solebo admitted the defendant to N25 million bail with two sureties in like sum.
Source: Vanguard News.
