The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, June 13, 2019, arraigned one Mary Senge a Cameroonian before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja. Senge was arraigned on a four-count charge, bothering on obtaining money by false pretence and Visa fraud
Count one of the charges against the Visa fraud Cameroonian reads:
“That you Mary Senge on or about the 27th day of July, 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N2,765,751(Two Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty–five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-one Naira) from John Folefal Abila when you falsely represented yourself as able to procure a Canadian Visa for his brother Lekeaka Gilbert which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) an of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
She pleaded not guilty to the charges of Visa fraud. In view of her plea, prosecution counsel, Best Ojukwu prayed the court for a trial date and for the court to remand the defendant in prison custody.
Defence counsel, Evi Ofou, however, made oral bail application for the defendant, explaining that he didn’t have enough time to file a bail application as a result of the fact that the Federal High Court, Maitama was not open as well as the fact that he got the charge sheet on Tuesday 11, 2019, while the following Wednesday 12, 2019 was a public holiday.
He promised the court that his client will always be available in court for the trials. The defence counsel opposed the bail application, stating that the defendant is a Cameroonian citizen and will likely jump bail and return to her country.
The judge admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N5million, (Five Million Naira) with two sureties in like sum, who must live within the jurisdiction of the court, and must be senior civil servants, who own landed properties and have three years evidence of tax payment, certified by the FIRS.