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Alleged N1.3bn fraud: Court orders arrest of Dana Air MD, Ranesh
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, issued an arrest warrant against the Managing Director (MD) of Dana Air, Mr Hathiramani Ranesh, over alleged refusal to appear in court to stand trial.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, held that the arrest of Ranesh is necessary following his refusal to appear in court after he was served with the charge and several proceedings taken in the matter.
Justuce Egwuatu held that in line with Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the court can issue an arrest warrant against any defendant who refused to appear in court.
“The 1st defendant is bound to appear before the court and if he does not, the court can issued warrant for his arrest.
“Accordingly relying on the said provision, I hereby issued a warrant of arrest for the arrest of the 1st defendant.
“The defendant shall appear before this court on 13th of January, 2025, before any objection can be taken,” he said.
The judge then adjourned the matter until Jan. 13, 2025 for hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government, through its lawyer, Mojisola-Okeya Esho, had, on Oct. 10, prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Dana Air.
Esho had argued that Ranesh had refused to appear for his arraignment in the alleged N1.3 billion fraud preferred against him by the Office of the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF).
But the defence lawyer, B. Ademola-Bello, disagreed with Esho.
He argued that they had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the prosecution had already been served.
Esho, on her part, objected to taking the preliminary objection on the ground that the defendants ought to be arraigned first before the court could entertain any other application.
The judge then adjourned the matter until Nov. 4 (today) for arraignment and/or hearing of preliminary objection.
NAN reports that the AGF had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two others.
In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021 and filed by Moshood Adeyemi, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd were joined as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
In count one, Ranesh and the two companies, alongside others at large, were alleged to have committed a felony between September and December 2018 within the premises of DANA Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina.
They were alleged to have conspired to remove, convert and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times.”
In count three, the defendants and others at large at House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos between April 7th and 8th, 2014, were alleged to have conspired to fraudulently divert the sum N864 million.
The money was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.
In count five, the defendants and others at large were alleged to have “conspired to fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).”
The money was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.
The cumulative sum of the amount involved in the charge is N1, 374, 300, 000.
All the offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
NAN observes that Ranesh had not appear in court since the case commenced before Justice Egwuatu.
When the case was called on Monday, Ademola-Bello informed the court that on the last adjourned date, the court directed the parties to file a written address on the points of law regarding Sections 221 and 396(2) of the ACJA, 2015.
“In compliance, we filed our written address on 31st of October, 2024. Upon receipt of prosecution’s response, we also filed a reply on points of law dated 31st day of October, 2024.
“Subject to the convenience of the court, we are ready to proceed,” he said.
Esho, who appeared for the AGF, confirmed being served.
However, Justice Egwuatu asked Ademola-Bello the whereabouts of Ranesh.
“Why are the defendants absent,” the judge asked.
The defence lawyer said Ranesh was not in the country and that the other two defendants are statutory bodies of which Ranesh is their managing director.
Ademola-Bello submitted that he was of the view that the jurisdictional issues raised in their preliminary objection should be addressed first.
“Are we playing here. Where is the respect for the court when the people you are defending are not in court?” the judge asked.
But the lawyer responded that Section 266 of the ACJA, 2015, gives provision for a defendant who is not on court.
“We urge the court to be guided by this provision,” he said.
Justice Egwuatu, who gave his ruling, ordered that Ranesh be arrested and brought to the court in the next adjourned date.(NAN)
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Muahammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111 has commended the developmental strides of Sokoto state governor, Ahmed Aliyu, just as he assured of the support of traditional institutions in the state.
Sultan who admonished other governor’s to also borrow a leaf from governor Ahmed Aliyu who ensures that resident communities enjoys equal benefit from everybody, added that, Nigerians should project what unites us moe than that which divides us.
“In Sokoto, we appreciate what the Governor is doing and we’d like to assure him of the support of the traditional institution so that he can continue the good work he’s doing of transforming our State.
“The Governor and our security agencies are doing their best and this has made the state to record tremendous improvement in the fight against banditry,” the Sultan averred.
While adding that governor Ahmed Aliyu deserves special commendation for the massive distribution of food items during the just-concluded Ramadan fast, Sultan urged Nigerians to always be law-abiding and desist from any act that may jeopardise the long lasting peace the country is enjoying.
Registering his displeasure over how the social media is been used negatively to promote and sow seed o discord, the Sultan said, some unpatriotic citizens use social media to spread falsehood, misinformation and provocative statements that can destroy the peaceful atmosphere the country is enjoying.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies in the country to be watchful of the unpatriotic citizens trying to create chaos in the land.
Speaking during his
Sallah homage on governor Ahmed Aliyu at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Lodge, Sokoto, Sultan
said, “”In Sokoto all Nigerians are treated as indigenes, an act that gives Nigerians residing in the State a sense of belonging.
Sultan equally stressed the need for for state governors to give much emphasis in protecting the lives and property of their subjects, describing security as the basis upon which all societies could progress.
Responding, governor Ahmed Aliyu reassured his administration’s determination to do everything humanly possible to make the state safe and secured.
He blamed unemployment especially among the youths as responsible for the insecurity being recorded in many parts of the country.
According to Aliyu, many youths have joined informants’ groups so as to be getting stipends to make ends meet.
“This administration has so far trained and graduated thousands of youths and women in different trades so as to make them productive members in the society.
” I want to assure you that we would soon embark on another massive skills acquisition programme to engage more unemployed youths in our modest attempt to reduce restiveness among our youths,” he vowed
Gov. Aliyu further reassured the people of the state that his administration would continue to prioritize Islamic affairs, adding that more Mosques and Islamiyya schools would continue to receive the desired attention from the state government.
He thanked the people of the state for their fervent prayers and support to his administration and called for it’s sustainance.
Sterling Bank has made a groundbreaking move by eliminating transfer charges on local transactions, aiming to create a more equitable banking experience for Nigerians. The question now arises: will other financial institutions follow this lead?
On April 1, Sterling Bank announced the removal of transfer fees for all local digital transactions, positioning itself as the first major bank in Nigeria to implement such a policy. Initially, the announcement faced skepticism, with many believing it to be an April Fools’ Day joke. However, Sterling has since reaffirmed the policy’s legitimacy and immediate implementation, signaling a significant evolution in the industry’s customer service approach.
Obinna Ukachukwu, the Growth Executive overseeing the Consumer and Business Banking Directorate, stated, “We believe that accessing your own funds should not incur a penalty. This decision transcends financial implications; it reflects our core values.”
With this new policy, Sterling customers can now make free transfers for all local transactions via the bank’s mobile app. This initiative is anticipated to yield considerable savings for individuals and small business owners who frequently engage in transfers.
“We may not be the largest bank in Nigeria, but we are certainly the most audacious,” Ukachukwu declared. “Sterling Bank is committed to the future of Nigeria, and we are backing our fellow citizens with more than just words.”
Sterling Bank has a history of prioritizing customer welfare, having previously offered financial assistance to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This latest initiative has garnered widespread public support, igniting conversations on social media and prompting calls for other banks to adopt similar practices.
“We take pride in leading this transformative change,” Ukachukwu concluded. “We hope to inspire others to rethink what customers truly require from their banks, not only in terms of services but also in values.”