Photo: Hathiramani Ranesh, MD, Dana Group
A Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered the arrest of Dana Airlines Managing Director, Hathiramani Ranesh for failing to appear in the court for trial.
Ranesh and others at large are accused of committing a felony between September and December 2018, within the premises of DANA Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina.
They allegedly conspired to remove, convert and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times.”
Court filings showed that the defendants and others at large, at House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos, between April 7th and 8th, 2014, conspired to fraudulently divert the sum of N864 million.
The money was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.
The defendants were also alleged to have conspired “to fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).”
The money was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.
The cumulative sum of the amount involved in the charge was N1, 374, 300, 000, while the offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
At the resumed proceeding on Monday, the defence lawyer told the court that the 1st defendant was outside the country, adding that the other defendants are corporate entities under his management.
Not satisfied with the explanation by the defence counsel, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, issued the arrest warrant for Ranesh while ruling on an application initiated by the Attorney General of the Federation.
It was learnt that the Dana Airline MD’s lawyer, Ademola Bello, could not account for his client.
FG had through its lawyer, Mojisola-Okeya Esho, prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant.
It contended that the court could not hear the preliminary objection without first entering his plea to the charge against him.
“Why are the defendants absent?” Justice Egwuatu asked.
But Bello said Ranesh was not in the country, and asked that the jurisdictional issue raised on their objection to the matter should first be addressed.
The presiding judge was unimpressed and asked, “Are we playing here? Where is the respect for the court when people you are defending are not in court?”
However, Bello referred the judge to Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, stressing, “We urge the court to be guided by this provision.”
Responding, Justice Egwuatu ordered that Ranesh be arrested and brought to court on the next adjourned date, 13 January 2025
“The defendant is bound to appear in court, and if he does not, the court can issue a warrant for his arrest.
“Accordingly relying on the said provision, I hereby issue a warrant of arrest for the 1st defendant.”
