Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a lawyer, Charles Adeyoriju, to produce his Chinese client, Mr. Su Donghai, in court on May 22 for arraignment over alleged N1 billion fraud.
Donghai was charged along with Stanley Tochukwu Okafor, Ogunade Oluwaseun, WNW Energy Technical Development Limited and HAOTI International Limited by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID), Ikoyi.
They were charged with 11 counts of conspiracy, forgery, obtaining by false pretence and fraud.
The judge had adjourned till yesterday for the defendants’ arraignment.
Prosecuting counsel S. A. Ogalla and a lawyer from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Tolulope Moloku, announced their appearance for the prosecution.
While other defendants were in court, Donghai was absent.
Asked by the judge about his client, Adeyoriju said Donghai was in China.
The lawyer had opposed the adjournment because the arraignment had been stalled on four occasions by the prosecution.
But the judge told Adeyoriju that since his client had not been present for arraignment, it was the Chinese who was stalling the arraignment.
Ogalla urged the court to either issue a bench warrant against Donghai to compel his attendance or order Adeyoriju to produce him for arraignment.
Justice Aluko ordered Adeyoriju to produce his client for arraignment and adjourned till May 22.
The Force CID said the defendants fraudulently obtained N1 billion belonging to CNOTS Energy Services Limited, represented by Femi Folayan.
The defendants were alleged to have forged 89 invoices to fraudulently defraud CNOTS Energy Services Energy Limited.
The first defendant, Stanley Tochukwu Okafor, was accused of falsely deposing to an affidavit on Oath on February 13, last year, at the Lagos State High Court Registry, Lagos, wherein he attached 29 invoice receipts of WNW Energy Technical Development Company Limited.
