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Fri, Mar

Lebanese, Three Others Arraigned For Transformers Theft

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The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned a Lebanese, Antoine Alromi and three others in an Abakaliki Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly stealing three transformers belonging to his company, Lana Construction Company Limited.


The Lebanese and the second accused person, Benjamin Offia, according to court records allegedly stole the three transformers in July this year.

The charge sheet reads: “That you Antoine Alromi and Offia Benjamin and others at large sometimes in the month of July 2017, at Abakaliki in the Abakaliki Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 A (a) of the Criminal Court, Cap 33, vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State 2009.

“That you, Antoine Alromi and Offia Benjamin in the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district, did steal two 1.5kva transformer valued at three million, five hundred thousand naira each, total value of property stolen, seven million naira only, property of Lana Construction Company Ltd and thereby committed am offence punishable under section 390 (6) of the Criminal code, cap 33, vol 1, laws of Ebonyi State 2009”.

The other two suspects Messrs Malachi Ogbodo and Gregory Friday Ndukwu were accused of unlawfully buying and receiving the stolen transformers from Mr Alromi.While Ogbodo was accused of buying and receiving one transformer at N1 million, Gregory was said to have alleggedly bought and received two of the stolen transformers at N1.5m.

When the matter came up for hearing, the Counsel to the second, third, and fourth respondents, Gabriel Onyibe appealed to the course to grant them bail on lenient terms as they were well known citizens of the community. But the prosecutor, Kenneth Adokeme opposed the bail appeal for the second respondent. He also asked the court not to grant bail to Mr Alromi who did not have a counsel.

Adokeme, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, alleged that the Lebanese was an illegal alien who entered the country without proper documentation.

He further alleged that Alromi have perfected plans to jump bail by leaving the country immediately he is granted bail. The prosecutor further alleged that the first accused person, have also obtained money amounting to over N3 million from people through pretense and was set to be arraigned in another court.

He further alleged that the first and second respondents have also made confessional statements adding that the Police have overwhelming evidence against them. But the Presiding Magistrate, Olughu Nnachi in his ruling noted that the offence is bailable. The Lebanese and second accused, Offia Benjamin Amechi were therefore granted bail by the Magistrate, to the sum of N10m with two sureties in like sum. “The first accused must also tender his international passport while the two shortees must be Civil Servants of grade level 15 or above”, he said. The third and fourth accused was also granted bail to the sum of N5m and two shortees in like sum.

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