The Directorate of Public Prosecutions in Lagos State has said sufficient facts exist to establish a prima facie case of conspiracy to commit felony, obtaining under false pretences, forgery and stealing against Dare Osamo and others indicted by the police to have laundered about N1bn from an aviation fuelling firm, Star Orient Nigeria Limited.
This was contained in the legal advice dated February 24, 2021, and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, A. O. Adeyemi, for the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State.
The legal advice was on Monday presented to the presiding magistrate A. A. Oshoniyi of the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba, where the police had arraigned Osamo and two others on four counts bordering on forgery and stealing.
The legal advice read in part, “This office shall prosecute Dare Osamo, Ayoola Olore and Hussain Abdulkadir for the offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, obtaining under false pretences and forgery under sections 411, 314 (1) and (3) and 365 (1), respectively, of the Criminal Law Cap. C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State 2015. Also, Dare Osamo has a case to answer for stealing under Section 287 of the Criminal Law Cap C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State 2015.
“Your duplicate case file is hereby retained to enable this office prosecute Dare Osamo, Ayoola Olore and Hussaina Abdulkadir for the offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, obtaining under false pretences and forgery under sections 411, 314 (1) and (3) and 365 (1), respectively, of the Criminal Law Cap. C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State 2015. Also, Dare Osamo has a case to answer for stealing under Section 287 of the Criminal Law Cap C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State 2015.
You shall be notified once a hearing notice is received.”
The magistrate adjourned the matter till April 13, 2021.
It was reported that the Zone 2 Police Command sought the DPP’s advice after its investigation indicted some members of staff of Access Bank Plc for colluding with the erstwhile Managing Director, Star Orient Nigeria Limited, Dare Osamo, and others to launder about N1bn.
The police had arraigned Osamo and two others on four counts bordering on forgery and stealing, last Wednesday.
Punch