Chinweike Mbaewe, a 35-year-old agent who was charged on four counts for allegedly receiving N5.5 million under the pretence of clearing a container of goods, appeared before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Monday.
The defendant was accused of theft, inciting a disturbance, issuing a fake check, and acquiring money under false pretences.
However, he entered a not guilty plea in front of Magistrate L. J. K. Layeni.
On the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the defendant committed the crimes in April, according to the prosecution, Dr. Simon Uche.
He said that the defendant defrauded a man named Mr. Ugochukwu Ozurumba of N5.5 million by pretending to assist him in unloading a 40-foot container of goods.
The prosecution claims that the claim is untrue because the defendant took the money and made a disturbance by forcing the container to pay N2.8 million in demurrage.
In the fourth count, the defendant is accused of giving the complainant a United Bank for Africa check for N1.68 million, dated Aug. 15.
He also allegedly gave the defendant a second check, this one for the value of five million Naira and dated September 9.
The prosecutor claims that both checks were rejected by the bank when they were presented.
The accused offenses violate Sections 168, 287, 314 and 315 of the Lagos State Criminal Law from 2015.
The defendant was granted bail in the amount of one million Naira with two sureties in the same amount by the magistrate.
He set the trial date for November 23.
