FG sues Emirates Airline, officials over alleged $1.6m theft

The Federal Government yesterday filed  a criminal charge against Emirates Airline and five officials of the company before a Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged theft of $1.6 million belonging to one Prince Chu Ikem Orji
Orji had recently written a petition to the Ministry of Justice asking it to investigate the alleged theft of his money by the officials of the airline.
It was on the strength of his complaint that the   government charged officials of the airline to court.
Others charged  include; Abayomi Adekanbi Abiola, Isiaka Adegoke Adedeji, Awonubi Abayomi, Obinna Onyeukwu Onyenso George Ikpekhia.
Pathfinder International Limited and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc.
The accused persons are facing 11 counts charge bordering on stealing, fraud, obtaining money under false pretence, wilful destruction of evidence and failure to report an international transfer of funds.
According to the charge, the accused persons are alleged to have on December 19, 2007 at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, stolen four bags with tag number: EK 428682, EK 428683, EK 650162, EK 650161, containing $1.6million belonging to Prince Chu Ikem Orji, on the promise of keeping the bags intact for onward delivery to him in Guangzhou, China.
They were also alleged to have conspired to fraudulently  defraud the man of the four bags containing the said amount and wilfully destroying the evidence by deleting the baggage details in the system.
The prosecuting counsel, Michael O. S., said the offences are punishable under the law.
But the accused persons couldn’t be arraigned yesterday due to a request for a short adjournment by the defence lawyer, Awa Kalu (SAN). He told the court that he was just briefed about the case, and that since the seventh accused was also not in court, it would be proper to reschedule the arraignment.
He prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him go through the case file and for all accused persons to be properly arraigned before the court.
The prosecution lawyer opposed Kalu’s prayer on the ground that the absence of the seventh accused person could not delay the arraignment of others.
He applied to the court for the withdrawal of the seventh accused person from the charge to allow other accused persons take their plea.
Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned the case till April 2 for the arraignment of all accused persons.

Daily Trust