FRAUD in the CHurch : EFCC arrests 3 Pastors for N7.9 Million Theft

Three pastors David Eshiet, Samson Ugbara and Adesanmi Aderoju, were yesterday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged N7.9 million fraud .

The defendants who were arraigned before Justice Olabisi Akinlade of an Ikeja High Court, are facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and uttering.

The defendants were charged by the anti-graft agency alongside their company, Prince and Zion International Service Ltd.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges proffered against them.

The trio were accused of defrauding their victims of the sum under the pretense of helping them to secure large sum of money as loan.

The EFCC counsel, Mr Ben Ubi alleged that the defendants had conspired among themselves to fraudulently obtain N4 million and 25,000 US dollars (N3.9 million) from one Angel Estate Residents Development Association in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

Ubi alleged that the money was obtained on October 27, 2011 under the pretext of helping the complainants source for a 100 million US dollars loan facility.

He stated that the loan was being sourced by the association to finance some community projects, adding that the defendants had obtained the money as processing charges.

Ubi, however accused the defendants of forging various documents which were used in facilitating the fraud. - Vanguard http://allafrica.com/stories/201303190418.html