Judge Recuses Self in $42.48m Fraud Trial
A high-profile fraud trial involving a British national and two Indian businessmen took a dramatic turn at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, after the presiding Judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, withdrew from the case following a petition alleging misconduct..
The Defendants, Marcus Wade, Prem Garg and Devashish Garg, alongside their companies Wilben Trade Limited and Agrico Agbe Limited, are standing trial over an alleged $42.48 million fraud involving Ecobank Nigeria Plc.
The case, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in suit FHC/L/562C/2022, centres on allegations that the Defendants conspired between May and September 2015 to defraud Ecobank under the guise of importing rice into Nigeria.
They face multiple counts including conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and fraud, with one charge brought under Section 422 of the Criminal Code Act. However, since the commencement of the trial in 2022, the Defendants have yet to appear in court to take their plea, with repeated adjournments largely due to their absence.
