Innoson Group has been charged with four counts of shipping fraud by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, at a Federal High Court in Lagos. The charge labelled FHC/L/565c/16 filed before Justice Saliu Saidu has five others as defendants namely Innocent Chukwuma, Charles Chukwu, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines and Anajekwu Sunny.
The defendants were charged with falsifying shipping documents and presenting them in a bid to secure a N2.4 billion loan from Guaranty Trust Bank. The IGP said this is in contradiction to sections 1(2) (c) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation 2004, Punch Newspapers reports.
Innoson Nigeria Limited and Chukwuma since October 21, while the other defendants were only served on Monday morning through their counsel. Innoson’s counsel had agreed to receiving the document while the judge sojourned the case until November 25, 2016.
The timing of the case against Innoson could not be more inconvenient for the group as it is serving as the lead indigenous partner in the proposed $1 billion partnership with Chinese investors, billed to take off very soon.
For the Nigerian government, this is yet another corporate outfit it has dragged for legislative action following the likes of MTN, Shell, Chevron and several other oil companies.
