Businessman, Accomplice Arraigned For Allegedly Duping Woman N17.5m

A 41-year-old businessman, Paul Davids and his alleged accomplice, Leslie Gasarah, 40, has been arraigned before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island for allegedly obtaining the sum of N17, 500.000 from a business woman, Fathia Alao under false pretence.

The defendants were arrested by the operatives of the police command, Onikan, Lagos and charged before the court on a four-count of obtaining money under false pretence, impersonation and stealing.

Police prosecuting counsel, Jimoh Joseph informed the court that the defendant committed the offence on 28 July, 2020 in Lagos.

Joseph told the court presided over by Magistrate A. Alogba that the defendants falsely represented themselves to the complainant as staff of image global solutions limited and collected the money from her to help her invest the money in the company to yield more interest for her knowing well that they were not staff of the company.

Joseph stated that after the defendants collected the money from the complainant, they absconded with the money and switched off their phones.

He said that when the complainant could not locate the defendants anymore, she reported the matter to the police who tracked and arrested the defendants at a hideout.

Joseph said the offences the defendants committed were punishable under sections 411, 315, 287, (7) and 350 of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Alogba granted them N500, 000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

Alogba adjourned the case till 15 January, 2022 for mention and ordered that the defendants be kept at the correctional facility till they perfected the bail conditions.