Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned a 41-year-old man and Managing Director of Bravem Services Limited, Ebioenang Monday George, at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt for his alleged involvement on an N37 million oil fraud.

George, 41,  was said to have obtained the huge sum from his victims in the guise of helping them to supply two barrels of Bonny Light Crude.

He was brought before Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the EFCC on 23 counts bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence.

George through his company, Bravem Service Limited, while posing as a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, allegedly obtained N37 million from his victims in the guise of helping to supply them with two barrels of Bonny Light Crude.

One of the charges read, “One of the counts reads: “That you, Ebioenang Monday George, being the Managing Director of Bravem Services Limited, on or about the 11th March, 2015, at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N19 million from ICS Energy Limited through your company’s account, Bravem Services Limited, domiciled in First Bank Plc with account number 2016700822 by false pretence, when you presented yourself as a staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and capable of selling one cargo-carrying 2 million barrels of Bonny Light crude oil, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act. No 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

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The defendant (George), who was docked alongside his company, Bravem Services Limited, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Based on the defendant’s plea, the prosecuting counsel, N.A. Dodo urged the court to fix a date for commencement of trial

But defence counsel, N.A. Obiecheton, prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable her to file an application for the bail of the defendant.

Justice Obile, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, while the matter was adjourned till April 7, 2020, for the commencement of trial.