Justice Ibrahim Kala of a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of a businessman, Jerald Uche Lebechi, in prison over alleged $236,400 passport fraud and issuance of N150 million dud cheque.

The court’s order was sequel to the arraignment of the businessman and his company, Monarch and Co. Limited, by the police on a 21-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing, fraud and issuance of dishonoured cheques.

Following his arraignment, Lebechi pleaded not guilty to all counts, and the police prosecutor, Eliot Ejie, later sought for his remand in prison pending conclusion of his trial.

He also informed the court of an application to preserve suspected proceeds of the crime and indicated his intention to move it at a later date.

Responding, defence lawyer, Anthony C. Lebechi, did not oppose the prosecution’s request for an adjournment but appealed to the court for a brief delay to allow the defence time to file a bail application.

In his intervention, Justice Kala adjourned the matter till today for the hearing of the bail application and other pending motions. He also ordered that the businessman shouid be remanded at the Ikoyi Centre of the NCoS.

The defendant, his company, and several accomplices who remain at large were said to have in August 2021 conspired to defraud one, Mr Venatus Onwughalu, under the guise of securing three G r e n a d i a n passports and visas for him and his family. Ejie informed the court that the f r a u d u l e n t scheme led to the loss of $236,400 by the victim.

He further alleged that in 2024, the defendant issued bank cheques totaling N150 million, all of which bounced due to insufficient funds in the account.

The dud cheques were allegedly issued from a separate account bearing the name Monarchandco International Limited.

The prosecutor said these acts contravened various sections of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, the Criminal Code Act, LFN 2004, and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

The court was also told that the offences are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, Section 220 of the Criminal Code, and Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering Act, among others. One of the counts reads:

“That you, Mr. Jerald Uche Lebechi, Monarch and Co. Limited, and others at large, sometimes in August 2021, at Lagos, with intent to defraud, did conspire amongst yourselves to obtain money from one, Mr Venatus Onwughalu, by false pretence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Another count accuses the defendant of issuing a dud cheque in July 2024 for the sum of N10 million from account number 0165966846 under the name Monarchomach International Limited .