The Court of Appeal, Enugu Judicial Division has dismissed an appeal brought before it by Patrick Shanchi Nwokike, an operator of a wonder bank in Enugu popularly known as “Let’s Partner With You”.
Nwokike was challenging the decision of a Federal High Court, Enugu, which in December 2016, granted an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the interim forfeiture and attachment order of landed properties and vehicles traced to him, pending the determination of the criminal charges against him and his company.
Ruling on the appeal, the Appellate Court held that his appeal was “lacking in merit” and it was accordingly dismissed.
Meanwhile, his trial before Justice Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court, Enugu, continued, with the EFCC presenting its fourth witness, Asuquo Okon, an operative with the anti-graft agency, who gave a graphic detail of what was unearthed during investigations.
Investigations, he said, revealed how Nwokike, his wife, Rosemary and his company operated an illegal financial institution.
“The defendants advertised for deposits from the public and carried out banking businesses, but when we inquired from relevant organizations like the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, we found out that they were not authorized to do such business,” he said.
Nwokike, his wife and the company were first arraigned on April 6, 2017 on a 10-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and advance fee fraud.
The case has been adjourned to March 27, 2019 for “continuation of trial”.