The Inspector-General of Police has filed an application at the Federal High Court, Lagos, asking it to issue an arrest warrant against Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Nigeria Limited, for failing to appear before the court over charges of fraud.
According to an affidavit deposed to by Noma Wando, a litigation officer in the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, the IGP first filed charges against the accused persons on December 21, 2015, before the case was taken over by the Attorney General of the Federation in February 18, 2016.
Chukwuma, his company Innoson Motors, and four others, are charged with four counts of falsifying shipping documents amounting to N2.4 billion.
The other defendants in the case are Charles Chukwu, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines, and Anajekwu Sunny.
The Police said that since the charges were served on the accused persons, only two of them, Chukwura and Mitsui Osk Lines, had continually made appearances in court, while Chukwuma and his company, as well as Messrs Chukwu and Anajekwu, had refused to appear in court and enter their pleas.
The Police allege that Innoson and his co-accused persons criminally conspired amongst themselves to alter shipping clearance documents belonging to Mitsui Osk Lines, and used the altered documents as collateral to obtain a loan of N2.4 billion from Guaranty Trust bank Plc for the purpose of clearing raw materials Polyvinylchloride for the production of roof ceiling and other imported items
The offence was said to have been committed between January 2010 and April 2011, at the Apapa Wharf, in Lagos.
All the offences alleged to have been committed by the accused persons are contrary to and punishable under sections 3(6),1(2)(C) of the miscellaneous offences Act Cap. M 17 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Last year, the defendants filed an application asking Saliu Seidu, the then presiding judge, to recuse himself from the trial.
The case was later transferred to another judge, Ayotunde Faji.
When the case came up for continuation of hearing on October 10, the four defendants were still absent in court but were represented by their lawyers.
Justice Faji adjourned till November 21 for hearing of the application for issuance of bench warrant.