Court orders remand of Polaris Bank staff in prison for alleged N16.6bn fraud

Mr Chinenye Duru, a Polaris Bank staff and account officer to Mr Victor Onukogu, has been ordered by the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja to be remanded in a correctional facility due to an alleged N16.6 billion fraud.

The order was given by Justice Inyang Ekwo after Duru pleaded not guilty to the 11-count charge brought against him by the office of the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police. The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023, has Polaris Bank Plc and Duru as the 1st and 2nd defendants respectively. During the hearing, the I-G’s counsel informed the court that the matter was fixed for arraignment, while Duru’s lawyer raised concerns about the conduct of the prosecution.

Despite the plea of not guilty and the request for a trial date, the defense lawyer highlighted the enforcement of Duru’s rights and the contempt proceeding against the I-G for non-compliance with a court order.

The judge informed Kalu that the current matter before him was a charge against Duru, for which a plea had already been taken. He advised Kalu that if he had any objections or concerns regarding the trial proceedings or the charge itself, he should refer to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and comply with it.

The judge assured Kalu that the court would review his application and make a decision accordingly. The judge emphasized that although it was the same court, a different judge would preside over the proceedings, and if Kalu had any issues, he should approach them in accordance with the law.

The judge stated that he needed to make two decisions, one regarding the remand of the second defendant and the other regarding the trial date. Kalu mentioned that he had an order for his release, citing Section 158 of the ACJA, which grants the court the power to admit Duru to bail. The judge inquired about the bail application, to which Kalu responded that they were relying on an existing order by Justice Okorowo, although they had not filed a separate application. The judge stated that he would make two orders, one for the trial and the other for Duru’s remand, but if Kalu filed a bail application, a date would be set to hear it.

The judge also asked the police lawyer about the number of witnesses they intended to call, to which the response was five. The judge adjourned the matter until April 23, April 24, and April 25 for trial, and ordered Duru to be remanded in a correctional center until further orders from the court. The charges against Polaris Bank and Duru involved fraudulent withdrawals from a bank account.

The judge informed Kalu that the current matter before him was a charge against Duru, for which a plea had already been taken. He advised Kalu that if he had any objections or concerns regarding the trial proceedings or the charge itself, he should refer to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and comply with it.

The judge assured Kalu that the court would review his application and make a decision accordingly. The judge emphasized that although it was the same court, a different judge would preside over the proceedings, and if Kalu had any issues, he should approach them in accordance with the law.

The judge stated that he needed to make two decisions, one regarding the remand of the second defendant and the other regarding the trial date. Kalu mentioned that he had an order for his release, citing Section 158 of the ACJA, which grants the court the power to admit Duru to bail. Justice Ekwo inquired about the bail application, to which Kalu responded that they were relying on an existing order by Justice Okorowo.

The judge asked if they had filed the application, and Kalu admitted that they had not, but the order was already before the court. Justice Ekwo then stated that he would issue two orders, one for the trial and the other for Duru’s remand, but if Kalu filed the bail application, a date would be set to hear it. The judge also inquired about the number of witnesses the police lawyer intended to call, to which Sidi responded that they had five witnesses.

The judge adjourned the matter until April 23, April 24, and April 25 for trial, and ordered Duru to be remanded in a correctional center until further orders from the court. The charges against Polaris Bank and Duru involved fraudulent withdrawals from Onukogu Victor Hezekiah’s bank accounts.