Man in court for paying with dud cheque

The police have arraigned a-34-year-old man, John Ehoche, before a Tinubu Magistrate’s court for obtaining goods under false pretences, having issued dud cheques to the seller as payment.

It was learnt that the goods, said to be furniture items valued N2.45m, was sold to the defendant by one Chibueze Okafor.

Our correspondent gathered that the items were obtained between February and November, 2013.

It was said that the cheques were not honoured at the point of payment due to insufficient balance in the issuer’s account.

The charges read in part, “That you, John Ehoche, and one other at large, on February 27, October, 25 and November 29, 2013 at Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; obtaining goods under false pretences, stealing and issuance of dud cheques.

“That you and one other at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did fraudulently obtain good sets of chair which valued N2, 450,000 by false pretences.

“That you and one other at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did steal some sets of furniture valued at N2, 450,000, property of one Chibueze Okafor.

“That you and one other at large on the same date, time and place in the said Magisterial District did issue three cheques of Diamond Bank, all valued N2,450,000 which was presented for payment but was not honoured due to insufficient fund.”

The offences were said to be punishable under sections 409, 312, 285 and 319 b of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

Ehoche pleaded not guilty to the four counts preferred against him.

The magistrate, Miss. A.O. Awogboro, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum.