Popular businessman, Chief Cletus Ibeto might have accepted his guilt in an alleged N4.8 billion fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Recall that the anti-graft agency had filed a 10-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, forgery, and fraudulent use of documents against Ibeto and his companies Ibeto Energy Development Company and Odoh Holdings Limited.
After several failed attempts by the EFCC to arraign Ibeto who was unable to appear in court, Justice Ismail Ijelu, on November 3, 2023, acceded with the plea of the EFCC and ordered the arrest of the businessman for allegedly refusing to appear to take his plea despite many undertakings by his lawyers to produce him in court.
However, the defendant accused Justice Ijelu of being biased and challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case. In February 2023, the matter was subsequently reassigned by to Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos High Court by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba.
In a resumed sitting, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), counsel for the EFCC told the presiding judge, Justice Ogala that Ibeto had refunded N3.2 billion of the money he was alleged of stealing from his alleged victim, Chief Daniel Chukwudozie.
He said: “After the court’s last sitting, the parties met with the EFCC to find ways to settle the matter out of court. This led to the defendants refunding N3.2 billion to the Commission.
“However, two issues are still outstanding: the allegation of forgery and the $3 million he denied collecting from the complainant.
“The EFCC has instructed me to withdraw this case in the spirit of reconciliation, while the Commission decides what to do about the outstanding issues. I hereby urged the court to strike out the charge,” Jacobs said.
While the defence counsel, Adebayo Oshodi, confirmed to the court that the matter had been settled and his clients had refunded some money, he denied that there were any outstanding issues yet to be resolved
Oshodi said, “I can confirm to the court that an agreement has been reached among all the parties, and the matter has been settled out of court. I, however, denied that any issues are outstanding,” he concluded.
Upon listening to the lawyers, Justice Ogala struck out the charge.
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