Controversial Yoruba film marketer, Seun Egbegbe, is still being remanded at the Ikoyi prisons for swindling more than 30 Bureau De Change operators of various sums both in local and foreign currencies between 2015 and 2017 in Lagos.
The Ebony Films Productions boss, who was granted bail about a month ago alongside his accomplice, Oyekan Ayomide, is worried that the N5 million bail, which he was granted since February 24, 2017, is too high to be met.
“His associates are worried that no one is willing to risk losing N2.5 million as surety for a case that has not even really started,” a popular Yoruba actor said in response to an enquiry by this newspaper.
Meanwhile, hopes of regaining his freedom was dashed on Thursday following the absence of the prosecuting counsel for the police, Innocent Anyigor. The latter has stalled the fraud trial of Ebony Productions’ CEO boss.
During the sitting at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, the trial judge, told Mr. Egbegbe and his co-defendants that he received a letter written by the prosecutor stating he would be out of jurisdiction on an official duty.
Justice Oguntoyinbo consequently adjourned the Egbegbe case till October 3, 2017.
The trial judge also ordered the defendants, who had yet to perfect their bail conditions, to return to the prison custody.
In the charge, marked FHC/L/40c/2017, the accused were said to have defrauded the BDC operators by falsely representing to the victims that they had foreign currencies to sell.
The police alleged that on February 2, for instance, the accused fraudulently obtained N2.5million and 3,000 pounds from one Isa Adamu in Lagos under the guise that they wanted to see the naira and buy the pounds.
Other victims of the alleged fraud include: Mohammed Sani, defrauded of N2.5 million; Jubrila Ado, defrauded of N1.3 million; Hassan Amodu, defrauded of N600,000; Sani Hassan, defrauded of N1.43 million and 2,750 pounds, among others.
The offences are said to have contravened the provisions of Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Meanwhile, Egbegbe’s business has been badly affected by his continued prison stay just as his fleet of exotic cars is being traded off one after the other.
Source: Premium Times
