A Karmo Grade I Area Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered that a carpenter, Akande Akin, 38, who allegedly swindled a friend, be remanded in prison custody, pending further investigation.
The police charged Akin, who resides in Jiwa Gwagwa Abuja, with cheating.
The Judge, Alhaji Inuwa Maiwada, ordered that Akin be remanded in Suleja Prisons until Aug. 5
Maiwada also ordered that the court had evaluated the applications of the prosecuting counsel, and was convinced that admitting the defendant to bail would hurt the prosecution.
He said that granting bail to the defendant could intimidate or affect further investigation into the matter.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mrs Ukagha Ijeoma, told the court that one Friday Agubama, of Idu furniture Karmo Abuja, reported the matter at the Karmo Police Station on May 29.
Ijeoma said that on April 1, the complainant gave the defendant and one Jacob Alabi of Suleja, Niger state, now at large N160, 000 to produce two sets of cushion chairs.
She said that the defendant delivered one set and converted the remaining balance of the complainant’s money to his personal use.
Ijeoma said that all efforts to recover the money and to arrest Alabi were unsuccessful.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant in custody, adding that he could escape prosecution if granted bail.
The offence, she said, contravened the provisions of Section 322 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. (NAN)
