N82.8 Million Fraud-Trial Of MD Cross Country Adjourned Till April 28.

A Lagos High Court today fixed April 28 for ruling on an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC seeking a bench warrant against the Managing Director of Cross Country Ltd, Mr Bube Okorodudu.
Okorodudu alongside Cross Country and Car Link Ltd. were charged before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo over an alleged N82.8 million theft.
The defendants are facing an eight-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and uttering.
The EFCC alleged that they stole the money through the fraudulent sale of 17 units of Volkswagen transporter buses belonging to AG Moeller Ltd and Mr Adeloye Olukemi
The commission through its counsel, Mr Emmanuel Jackson, had on March 3 asked the court for a bench warrant against Okorodudu for repeatedly failing to appear before the court for his arraignment.
At today's proceedings, counsel to Cross Country and Car Link, Chief Ladi Williams (SAN), informed the court that both defendants were not served with the said application.
Williams argued that his clients were legal personalities and had the right to be heard in the proceedings
He requested for a short adjournment to enable the second and third defendants to be served with the application and file their replies
The EFCC counsel, Mr Emmanuel Jackson, while opposing the call for adjournment, noted that the bench warrant was being sought against only Okorodudu.

"We never applied for any warrant against the second and third defendants. So they have no right to file written addresses on the issues we have raised.
"The balance of convenience will weigh against the state if the defence keep seeking for an adjournment even when the defendants are yet to be arraigned," Jackson said.
In a short ruling, Justice Lawal-Akapo ordered the EFCC to serve the second and third defendants with the said application.
He adjourned the matter till April 28, 2014 for ruling on the application.