Company MD arraigned for alleged visa scam
The Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited, Mr Echendu Ndubuisi Endy at the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
Endy was arraigned before Justice E.A. Obile, for allegedly defrauding his victims the sum of N9,000,000 in the guise of procuring travel visas for them, reports Daily Independent.
The Defendant, according to a statement signed by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, was arraigned on three counts bordering on visa scam and obtaining money under false pretence which contravenes Section 1(1) A and B of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
One count reads: “That you, Echendu Ndubuisi Endy while being the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited between 23rd day of April 2024 to 2nd May 2024 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the total sum of (Four Million Naira) N4,000,000.00 only from Mr Darlington Abuchi under the pretense that you had the capacity to procure United Kingdom work permit visa to enable him work and stay in United Kingdom which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) a & b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section|1(3) of the same Act.”
Another count reads: “That you, Echendu Ndubuisi Endy while being the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited between 16th day of August 2023 to 14th September 2023 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the total sum of (Three Million Naira) N3,000,000.00 only from Mrs. Ngozi Nzechukwu under the pretense that you had the capacity to procure United Kingdom work permit visa to enable her work and stay in United Kingdom which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) a & b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
The Defendant after listening to the charges, pleaded “not guilty.”
Consequently, the prosecution counsel, K. A. Yunus, prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS).
On his part, the defence counsel, P. U. Alikor informed the court that he has applied for the bail of the defendant.
Alikor, therefore prayed the court to grant the defendants bail to enable him prepare for his trial.
In his ruling, Justice Obile, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre while the matter was adjourned to November 28, 2024 for hearing of bail application.
It was learnt that the Defendant was arrested sometime in October, 2024 for alleged visa scam and obtaining money under false pretence, reported to the Commission by three separate petitioners.
He allegedly collected a total sum of N9 million from the three petitioners for the purpose of procuring travel visa and care giver jobs for them in the United Kingdom, but neither procured the visas nor returned the monies to the respective victims.
