The Abuja Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Rhas Nigeria Limited and its director, Liwa Sarirddine before Justice A.H. Musa of the Federal Capital Territory High Court for fraud.
They were arraigned on a one-count charge, bordering on alleged issuance of dud cheque to the tune of N10 million.
The charge read: “That you Rhas Nigeria limited and Liwa Sarirddine (being the director of the said Rhas Nigeria Limited, sometime in 2020 in Abuja within the judicial division of this Honourable Court did obtain credit from Ismail and Partners in the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten million naira) by means of a cheque dated 15th/10/2020 which when presented for payment within three months of the date, was dishonoured and returned on the ground that there was no sufficient credit standing in the account for which the cheque was drawn and you there by committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(1) (i) and 1(1)(ii) of the same Act.”
Sarirddine pleaded “not guilty” on his behalf and that of the company, following which prosecution counsel Mariya .U. Shariff asked the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional facility, while the defence counsel applied for the bail of the defendant, which the prosecution did not oppose.
Justice Musa granted the defendant bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a Level 10 civil servant. Additionally, both sureties must depose to an affidavit which will be verified by the court registrar.
