Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, December 4, 2020, adjourned further hearing in the N139m fraud trial of Osita Ojeah, his company, Homeland and Overseas Limited, and Anthony Nwosu to February 3, 2021.
The defendants are standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and conspiracy to steal to the tune of N139, 000,000.00(One Hundred and Thirty-nine Million Naira).
One of the counts reads: “Osita Ojeah, Anthony Nwosu and Homeland and Overseas Ltd., on or about the 3rd of February 2016 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonesty stole and converted the sum of N139, 000,000 property of Virgin Forest Nigeria Limited.”
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, prompting the Court to fix December 4, 2020 for the hearing of their bail applications.
At today’s sitting, counsel for the 1st and 2nd defendants, G.C. Ugochukwu, and counsel for the 3rd defendant, C.H. Nwuke, moved the bail applications of their clients, noting that they had earlier enjoyed the administrative bail granted them by the EFCC.
Justice Taiwo, after listening to the defence counsel, and with no objection from the prosecution, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties must be a close relative and another who must be a land owner in Lagos State with Certificate of Occupancy verified by the Court Registrar.
The sureties must also depose to an affidavit of means.
