DSS Begins Trial Of John Elem, Who Was Accused Of Attempting To Print Counterfeit Naira Notes Worth N20bn

DSS Begins Trial Of John Elem, Who Was Accused Of Attempting To Print Counterfeit Naira Notes Worth N20bn

The Department of State Services has commenced the trial of one Mr
John Elem, who was accused of attempting to print counterfeit naira
notes, worth N20bn.  

Elem was charged before Justice Saliu Saidu at the Federal High Court
in Lagos and the prosecuting counsel for the DSS, E.K. Ugwu, said the
defendant violated the provisions of “the Counterfeit Currency Offences
Act, 2004.”  

At the opening of trial in the case today, the DSS Principal Officer
in Charge of Investigation at the agency’s Ikoyi, Lagos office, Peter
Uche, testified as the first prosecution witness against Edem. Uche,
while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Ugwu, told the court that
the DSS received a petition against Edem in December 2016.  

He said the petition, authored by one Mr Francis Okowa, was delivered
to him in his office on December 7, 2016, about 4pm from the law firm
of Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN). According to the witness, the petitioner, a
client of Rickey Tarfa’s chamber, alleged in his petition that the
defendant, Edem, was plotting to print naira notes, worth N20bn.  

“Based on the petition, I went to my director and immediately a team
was constituted to identify and arrest him (Edem). The following day,
around 2pm, we were able to apprehend the suspect along Governor’s
Drive, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi.  

The team was split into two; one to go and search his house while the
other was to search his company. I led the team that went to his house
on Banana Island in the evening of the same day. We went into the house;
we recovered items that we believe support the petition. Some of the
items we recovered were 92 pieces of golden colour holograms, a textbook
and handbooks on how to print currencies. We also recovered a manual
numbering machine” Uche told the judge.  

He added that he took two statements from Edem on December 9 and 11,
2016, adding that though the defendant denied the allegation, the items
recovered from his house supported the petitioner’s claims against him.  

Justice Saidu admitted in evidence the 92 pieces of golden colour
holograms, which the witness said were recovered from the closet in
Edem’s master bedroom. The judge equally admitted in evidence a textbook
with the title, ‘Optical Document on Security,’ and the handbooks said
to contain instructions on how to print currencies and the manual
numbering machine.  

The two statements by the defendant were also admitted as
exhibits. The defence lawyer, Idris Faro, sought an adjournment to
cross-examine the witness. Justice Saidu adjourned till Tuesday for
further proceedings.