EFCC to arraign Ibru for alleged N1bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed 11 counts of fraud against the former Chairman of Ikeja Hotels Plc, Mr. Goodie Ibru, for allegedly defrauding the hotel to the tune of N1bn.

A copy of the charge sheet obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, was filed before Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of the Lagos Division of the Lagos State High Court.

Ibru was charged alongside three companies – Associated Ventures International Limited, IHL Services Limited and Clearview Investment Limited.

 The EFCC, in one of the counts, alleged that Ibru and his co-suspects conspired amongst themselves to steal a sum of N867,700,990.00 being the profit due to Ikeja Hotels Plc, adding that the suspects received the stolen sum through Starwood Limited, the managers of Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja. The alleged offence was said to be committed between January and December 2010

In another of the counts, the EFCC alleged that the suspects, had between June and October 2010, with an intent to defraud, fraudulently converted to their personal use, a sum of N55,102,485.50 received through Starwood Limited as profit due to the hotel.

The EFCC further alleged that the suspects, with an intent to defraud, fraudulently converted to their personal use, various sums received through Starwood Limited as profit due to the hotel.

EFCC alleged that the defendants also, with an intent to defraud, fraudulently converted to their personal use a sum of N27, 508,766.25 sometime in February 2010 – property of Ikeja Hotels Plc which sum was said to have been received through Clearview Investment Limited as proceeds of the sale of Ikeja Hotels property.

According to the anti-graft commission, these alleged offences committed by the suspects are contrary to sections 516, 370(7)(b) and 9 and 278(1)(b) and 285(8) and 9(b) 0f the Criminal Code Cap C. 17, Vol. 11, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

No date has been fixed for the arraignment of the suspects.