Azeez Folorunso/
A man identified as an American serial fraudster has been dragged to a Lagos High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for obtaining money under false pretense.
Marco Antonio Ramirez was identified as the manager of USANOW LMC, Eagle Ford Instalology group LP and UUSA Energy capital group LP.
He was arraigned before Justice Josephine Oyefeso on allegations of obtaining $824,700 from one Ambassador Godson Echiejile, Abubakar Umar Sodiq, and Olukayode Sodimu at different times from March 8, 2012 and June 20, 2013.
He was accused of defrauding his victims under the pretense of investing in his company, Eagle Ford Instalology Group LP, under the employment base 5 investor programme of the United States of American citizenship and Immigration service, with the aim of granting them US citizenship by the provision of a United States of America green card.
Addressing the Court, the prosecuting counsel, Viera Aigboje said that the offences of the defendant contravened Section 12 of the advanced free fraud and other fraud related offences act of Nigeria, 2006.
She added that all three of the defendant’s companies were copied as defendants in the charge but were not available or represented in court as at the time of arraignment and therefore invoked a provision of the constitution in section 357 where a plea of “Not Guilty” would be recorded for an unrepresented party in a matter unless Marco wished to represent them to which he replied that he wasn’t a director in any of the companies.
Marco pleaded not guilty to all 16 charges preferred against him which ranged from $5,000 to $500,000 transactions.
The prosecution informed the Court that they had received an information dated 22nd May, 2016 that could further prove the case and had served it on the defendant to which the defense counsel, Chukwudi Maduka claimed to have had trouble reading.
Aigboje, after hearing the plea of the defendant, prayed the Court to remand him in prison custody, pending trial.
The defense counsel argued that they had just received the charge and that since Marco’s remand in EFCC custody, they had not been served the charge sheet so they sought time to file a bail application as he was already on the EFCC’s bail in Abuja where his international passport was submitted and all other bail conditions fulfilled.
The judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody as against the defense counsel’s proposed EFCC facility.
The Court, however, adjourned till July 3, 2017 for hearing of bail application.
0