THE Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has filed a four-count criminal charge against First Bank of Nigeria Plc and two others at the Federal High Court Abuja over alleged forgery of mortgage documents.
The other two accused persons are a lawyer attached to the legal department of First Bank Nigeria Plc, Mr. Olakunle Jegede and an external consultant to the bank, Edith Mike Ejezie.
According to count one of the charge sheet (FHC/ABJ/CR/158/2012), the accused persons about December 2, 2008 at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division, conspired to commit felony to wit: forgery of a tripartite legal mortgage between Poco Petroleum Limited, Chief Patrick Onwochei Chukwueloe Ozieh and First Bank by superimposing Poco Enterprises Nigeria Limited on Chief Onwechei Chukwueloe Ozieh, making it look as if the tripartite legal mortgage was between Poco Petroleum Limited, Poco Enterprises Nigeria Limited and First Bank to enable First Bank take possession of the property known as No 46 Ogunlana Drive, plot 452, Surulere belonging to Poco Enterprises Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code.
The police also accused them of superimposition of Poco Enterprises Nigeria Limited on chief Patrick Onwochei Chukwueloe Ozieh to make it look as if the legal mortgage was made between Poco Petroleum, Poco Enterprises and First Bank for the purpose of taking possession of the said property, saying the offence is contrary to section 467 of the Criminal Code.
"That… about December 2, 2008 at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, within the Abuja judicial Division, did utter a forged tripartite legal mortgage between Poco Petroleum Limited, Poco Enterprises Nigeria Limited and First Bank Plc by registering same at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, and obtaining a CAC certificate of registration dated December 2, 2008 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 468 of the Criminal Code," count three reads.
Count four of the charge endorsed by David Igbodo of legal/prosecution section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) says the accused persons filed the same forged documents at the Federal High Court of Nigeria Registry, Abuja, and obtained an order of the Federal High Court dated October 29, 2008 extending time within which to register the forged document at CAC Abuja and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 468 of the criminal code.
The charge is supported by a proof of evidence indicating names of four witnesses that would be relied upon by the prosecution at the trial of the accused persons.
They are Valentine Oziel, an executive director of Poco Enterprises; Michael Agbamuche, counsel and solicitor to Poco Enterprises; Olukayode Uanreroro, a lawyer and sales agent to First Bank, as well as the investigating Police Officer attached to the Nigeria Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
