A FORMER member of the defunct Western House of Assembly in the First Republic, Olusola Alaba, was Wednesday arraigned before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N1.49 million fraud.
Alaba, 88, is facing a five-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, alleged that the defendant had on June 20, 2011, in Lagos fraudulently obtained the sum of N1,490,000 from one Mrs. Olutoyin Ogundipe.
Usani alleged that Alaba obtained the money from the woman by claiming that the said sum represented the cost of a three bedroom flat located at Plot 8 Oladimeji Alo Street, Lekki Phase One.
The prosecutor further accused him of forging four international passports in the names of Babatunde Savage, Anthony Okundalaye, Lateef Alli and Magnus Obe, to facilitate the fraud.
Alaba pleaded not guilty to the charge and his counsel, Mrs. Mercy Emuveyan, urged the court to remand him in EFCC custody pending the filing of his bail application.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the case till March 26 for trial.