The bail application filed by a convicted fraudster, Kolawole Adedayo Erinle, has been thrown out by Justice Ramon Oshodi of a Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja. Erinle was convicted in the United States of America.
He was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged $1.4million. internet fraud. The judge dismisses Erinle’s bail application for the reason that he had a previous criminal record and that he might not surrender himself for trial if granted bail.
In dismissing the bail application, the judge held: “It is remarkably clear that the bail documentations of the sureties were not agreed to by my noble lord, Justice Taiwo before she retired. “I have now been urged by the defence counsel to re-admit the defendant to bail with the same sureties, as the bail has now been documented.
“I must consider the probability that the defendant may not sur- render himself again for further trial owing to the fact that he had a previous criminal record where he was jailed in the United States of America.
“Again, I was misled that the defendant was granted bail by Justice Taiwo before she retired. “Bail is hereby denied and accelerated hearing is hereby ordered.” Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until May 15 for the defen- dant to open his defence. Prior to the refusal of Erinle’s bail application, Justice Oshodi had admitted more evidence against the convict. Erinle and his company, Rinde- Remdex Nigeria Limited, are answering questions to a three- count charge bordering on conspiracy, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, and obtaining money under false pretence.
They were earlier arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the same jurisdiction on March 11, 2022, but the trial could not be laid to rest before the retirement of the judge.
This development led to the reassignment of the case to Justice Oshodi, where the defendants trial started afresh on October 28, 2022. Erinle was specifically alleged to have defrauded the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, KCUMB, in the US of the said sum. Again, he pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was rearraigned before Justice Oshodi. At the last proceedings, Justice Oshodi admitted documents tendered by the prosecution against the defendants.
The documents included bundles of correspondence between the Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, relating to the alleged offence, as well as the ex- trajudicial statements made to the EFCC by one, Victoria, the mother of the defen- dant and one A. Abdulazeez, a clearing agent that helped the defendant in the clear- ing of vehicles imported into the country.
The charge against Erinle partly reads:part: “Kolawole Adedayo Erinle and Edward Dada (still at large), sometime in 2019, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to falsely represent yourselves as J.E. Dunn, a local construction company in America, with intent to gain a monetary advantage in the sum of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) by creating a fake domain name jedunn.org and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14, 2006. “Kolawole Adedayo Erinle, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Limited and Edward Dada (still at large) on or about the 3rd day of May 2019, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, retain the control of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) in your Access Bank account, which sums you knew to be proceeds of various internet and cybercrime”.
