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Court denies bail in 419 trial
23/02/2004 19:28 - (SA)
Abuja - A Nigerian judge refused to grant bail on Monday to three suspects charged with masterminding a $242m fraud and then trying to bribe investigators to drop the case against them.
The three suspects - banker Emmanuel Nwude, housewife Amaka Anajemba and businessman Nzeribe Okoli - face 86 charges relating to the biggest ever alleged case of "419 fraud", a crime for which Nigeria has become notorious.
Two more defendants are charged with attempting to thwart the investigation by offering bribes to officials of Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Their bail bid will be heard on Wednesday.
"Because of the nature of the charges and the proof of evidence ... I'm unable to exercise the discretion being sought in favour of the applicants," Abuja's chief justice, Lawal Gumi, told the court.
"In the event of the applicants being convicted it is likely that the punishment may indeed be severe, the evidence from which the charge is supported appears to be quite formidable," he said.
"In view of the allegation that the applicants have, through counsel, offered gratification to EFCC officials, it is quite possible that the applicants ... would refuse to turn up to the trial," he said.
419 scam
Defence counsel said they intended to appeal the decision.
Between 1995 and 1998 tens of millions of dollars were siphoned out of Banco Noroeste of Sao Paolo, Brazil, by a bank official who had been promised a huge personal commission for help funding a fake airport construction contract.
The bank collapsed in 2001, and a civil case brought in London by its creditors heard that at least $190m had been transferred to a number of bank accounts controlled by the current defendants.
When the bank collapsed and the fraud was discovered, a gap of $242m was found in its finances, the London court heard.
Nigeria became famous as the birthplace of 419 fraud, which is named after the relevant section in the country's criminal code, after fax and e-mail users around the world began receiving messages out of the blue offering them huge sums in exchange with assistance getting money out of Africa.
The fraudsters' technique is usually to solicit bank account information, identity details or advance payments from their unsuspecting victims, and using the information to drain their bank accounts.
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