From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan
A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan on Tuesday ordered a female Chinese national, Zhou Jun, to be remanded in Agodi Prisons for allegedly defrauding one Abdulrahaman Mohammed and seven others to the tune of N35.6million .
Zhou Jun who was arraigned on 16-count charges was also alleged to have issued a dud cheque No. 71007461 dated 17/4/2014 of Zenith Bank PLC to the tune of N700,000.00 to Mohammed.
She pleaded not guilty to all the charges after they were read to her in English language .
The charges read in part: “That you Zhou Jun ‘F’ and others at large sometimes in 2011 at Ibadan within the Ibadan Federal High judicial Division did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining goods under false pretence and stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offence Act Cap.A6 Vol.1 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.
“That you Zhou Jun”F” and others at large on the same date,time and place in the aforementioned judicial Division did obtain precious stones valued N17, 850,000( Seventeen million eight hundred and fifty thousand naira) from one Ado Black”M” under the pretence of paying for the goods on delivery knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offence Act Cap.A6 Vol. 1 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
The prosecuting counsel , DSP Fawole Bukola further told the court that the accused had on 17th April,2014 at Ibadan issued a dud cheque No. 71007461 dated 17/4/2014 of Zenith Bank PLC to the tune of N700,000.00 ( Seven hundred thousand naira) to one Awokson Dilan Shem ‘M’ which on presentation was dishonoured and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 1(1) (b) of the dishonoured cheque (offence) Act Cap D11 Vol.5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Akorede Ayodele while pleading for bail for the accuse on health ground said the charge was made available same day and that he needed time to study it with a view to filing formal bail application for the accused .
Beside, Ayodele who said he has written Chinese Embassy to produce the other accused person at large, Mr Chan, urged the court to temper justice with mercy by allowing the accuse to attend court from home since she had earlier been given administrative bail.
However, the prosecuting counsel opposed the oral application been sought by the counsel to the accused , adding that the administrative bail earlier granted was abused.
There after, there was mild argument between the defence and prosecuting counsel over where the accused would be remanded , while the defence counsel was asking the court to allow her in police custody, the prosecuting counsel opposed it, saying there is better facilities at the Agodi Prison for female.
The Presiding Judge,Justice Emanuel Ayo in his ruling ordered that the accused be remanded at Agodi Prisons , till Tuesday, May 27, 2014, the next adjourned date.
There was a mild drama at the court premises when officials and onlookers booed Prison officials for shielding the Chinese national from photo journalists who came to cover the proceedings .
After keeping the Chinese woman in closed door for hours, the truck popularly known as” Black Maria” eventually parked to convey her and other accused persons to the prison at about 3.30pm, but prison officials pulled round and shielded the woman who covered her face with a cloth before climbing the waiting truck.
Provoked by the action of Prison officials, many onlookers who accused the officials of corruption, started yelling at them, shouting unprintables.