The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Finan­cial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, March 16, 2023, re-arraigned one Portia Emilia for an alleged N110m fraud before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sit­ting in Ikeja, Lagos.Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity of EFCC, saidEmilia was re-arraigned alongside her company, Savanah Crest Investment Limited, on an amended five-count charge border­ing on conspiracy to steal, contrary to Section 411 and punishable under section 287 (5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015; obtain­ing money and property by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(2) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Fraud Offences Act 2006; Stealing, contrary to Section 280(1) (12)8(7), 285(1) and 278(1) b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011; and retaining stolen property, contrary to Section 328 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

One of the counts reads, “Portia Anthony Emilia and Savanah Crest Investment Limited, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the juris­diction of this Honourable Court, with intent to de­fraud, stole and dishonestly converted to your own the sum of N40,000,000.00 (Forty million Naira only)”.Another count reads, “Portia Anthony Emilia and Savanah Crest Invest­ment Limited, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudu­lently obtained the sum of N20,000,000.00 Twenty mil­lion Naira) from one Wendy Daniel.”Emilia, who also took the plea of the company, pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges.The prosecution counsel, F. Ofoma, informed the court that the prosecution would close its case, having called two witnesses, through whom several pieces of doc­umentary evidence were tendered.

“The prosecution hereby applies to close its case,” he said.The defence counsel, J.J. Amodu, prayed to the court for an adjournment to enable him to prepare for his case.“We also pray this Hon­ourable Court to, upon the re-arraignment of the defen­dant, allow her to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted by the court,” he said.The prayer of the defence was granted and the case was adjourned till June 22, 2023, for defence.