The Police on Thursday arraigned a Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uche Okeke, before an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for allegedly obtaining N1.53 million from one Mrs Angela Edimanichukwu.
The police prosecutor, Sgt. Atteh Effiong, told the court that the complainant's husband, Mr Emmanuel Edimanichukwu, petitioned the Police Command in the FCT on March 6.
Effiong told the court that the accused “prevented, deceived and collected the said amount from Mrs Edimanichukwu, on the pretext of buying her some shops at the Wuse Market.
He said that the accused failed to fulfil her promise and converted the money to her personal use.
The prosecutor said the accused committed the offence of criminal breach of trust and cheating, contrary to the provisions of Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the prosecutor prayed the court not to grant the accused bail.
Counsel to the accused, Mr Giles Ugwunweze, prayed the court to discountenance the statement of the prosecutor, saying that the offence committed by the accused was bailable.
Ugwunweze said his client was a director in a ministry and would not jump bail.
In her ruling, Magistrate Vera Tokura granted the accused bail in the sum of N2 million and a surety in like sum.
She said the surety, who must be a civil servant, must live within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the case to Jan. 16, 2013 for hearing.