An oil and gas marketer, Emmanuel Morah, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos State, over alleged fraud and issuance of dud cheques.

The defendant was said to be among the convicts recently granted amnesty by the federal government on health grounds, but was yet to be released from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.

Morah whose companies include Rocky Nigeria Limited, Rocky Oil Limited, and Rocky Energy Limited, was reportedly docked for obtaining the sum of N24m from the Chairman, Beauty and Fragrance International Limited, Alhaji Kayode Kasumu.

He was said to have defrauded the complainant under a false representation that he would use the money to complete a property at No. 10 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, within two months, and rent part of it to him.

The defendant was also alleged to have issued a Diamond Bank cheque, dated October 2, 2016, with monetary value of N10m, with account name, Rocky Energy Limited, in favour of Beauty and Fragrance International Limited, which was rejected and dishonoured on grounds of insufficient funds in the account.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Justine Enang, the offences committed were contrary to and punishable under sections 1 (1) (a), (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; and sections 1 (1) (b), (2), and section 2 of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, CAP D11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him. Following his plea, Enang asked for a trial date and urged the court to remand him in custody.

Morah’s counsel, E. M Ojere, while responding to the prosecutor’s request, told the court that he had filed the defendant’s bail application and the same had been served on the prosecution.

After listening to the submissions of both parties, Justice Akintayo Aluko, admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N10m with one surety in like sum.

The judge said the surety must be a resident and a property owner within the court’s jurisdiction, who must swear an affidavit of means.

He stated that both the defendant and the surety must deposit their two recent passport photographs with the court, adding that the prosecutor must be part of the verification, and that the surety must be recognised by a cleric.

The judge, however, ordered that the defendant should be remanded in the NCS custody till the perfection of the bail terms.