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EFCC arrest Innoson’s Chief Executive Officer

By Lawrence Njoku ( Enugu) and Stanley Akpunonu (Lagos)
20 December 2017   |   4:29 am
The Chief Executive of Innoson Technical Manufacturing Company, Enugu, Chief Innocent Chukwuma was yesterday arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission...

Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Innoson Group, Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma

• He has been having financial dealings with GTB,his lawyer says
The Chief Executive of Innoson Technical Manufacturing Company, Enugu, Chief Innocent Chukwuma was yesterday arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged undisclosed financial crime.

Chukwuma was apprehended about 11:30a.m. at his Government Reserved Areas (GRA), Enugu residence by armed police officers.

Being aware of his impending arrest, several trucks belonging to his company had been used to block the three entrances leading into his Savage Crescent residence GRA, witness said. The development caused gridlock as road users meandered through the adjourning streets.

Those who operated businesses around the area could not access their offices. Few hours later, armed EFCC officials stormed the area, and began to fire teargas.

The situation caused passersby to scamper for safety. Confirming the incident, EFCC’s Media Officer in Enugu, Mr. Chris Oluka, said he did not know why the auto manufacturer was arrested.

The protesting workers

“They brought him to our office and have taken him to Lagos. Nobody has told us why he was picked but I believe it will be made known in due time,” he said.

As at the time of filing the report, attempts were still being made to free the blocked entrances to ease movement of people, vehicles among others.

Meanwhile, Chukwuma’s lawyer, Mc Carthy, said his principal has been having problems with GTB, which has resulted into debiting his account to millions of naira in excess charges.

He said: “Innoson commenced a law suit against GTB and got judgement of N4.7bn at Federal High Court Awka in 2013.

GTB appealed against the judgement on December 9, 2014, but the court ordered it to pay the money into an interest-yielding account of the Deputy Registrar, Court of Appeal, Enugu. The money has amounted to N5.9bn. GTB appealed to the Supreme Court, but Innoson again got a judgement against customs at Ibadan on December 2010 amounting to N2.4bn. In 2011 Innoson traced the Customs money in GTB and got order absolute from which the court ordered it to pay. It appealed the judgment again which was struck out .

The court asked GTB to pay the judgement fee of N2.4bn to Innoson. GTB also appealed the judgment, citing that he got the judgment through fraud but the application was dismissed this 2017. Innoson filed a case against GTB for N400bn for malicious persecution and defamation.”

According to Mc Carthy, GTB found out it is difficult for Innoson to forgo the judgement sum, and later accused him of obtaining fake customs documents. The case is still pending in court.

“Now GTB has gone to EFCC on the same matter and today, the agency stormed his residence, used tear gas on Innoson and his workers and till now, they are still being kept and we are yet to hear from them,” said Mc Carthy.

A source close to the bank told The Guardian he had no hand in whatever Innoson Company was passing through, as the matter was already in court.

He, however, disclosed that Mr. Chukwuma had refused to appear in court.

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