Two Doctors Charged With Swindling Deceased Colleague In Enugu

Dr Inechi, Macdonald Chikaodo, 38, and Dr Ugwuonye, Kingsley, 38, both consultant psychiatrists at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, have been arraigned before an Enugu Magistrates’ Court, New Haven, on four-count charges bordering on alleged fraud, forgery and stealing from their late colleague, Dr Obinna Uzor.

Their charge sheet states that sometimes in 2014 at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, both conspired to commit felony to wit: stealing/forgery and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 495(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, Vol, II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

The defendants were also charged with stealing one million, thirty-four thousand, seven hundred and eleven naira (N1,034,711.00) only belonging to the deceased, an offence punishable under Section 353(l) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

The count-four states that the duo further, on the same day and time, did with intent “to deceive or acted upon as genuine forged the signature of Stephen Ozor, m, in a purported acknowledgment letter in respect of the sum of N700, 000 which you purported to have been signed by him, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 443 (I) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.”

They were first arraigned on 2nd June, 2020. At the hearing on 7th July, 2020, the counsel to the defendants, C.U. Abugwu, Esq., applied for their bail, stating that the alleged offences were bailable, adding that his clients never defaulted as the matter lasted. The prosecutor did not object to the application, hence Magistrate S.O. Okoro granted them bail in the sum of N300, 000.00 only, with one surety in the like sum. The surety must be a civil servant of Grade Level 06 and above, and shall furnish the registrar of the court with a copy of their recent photograph with that of the defendants.

THE WHISTLER gathered that both consultants allegedly swindled one Ozor Stephen, who is the next-of-kin of the late Dr Uzor, by forging the signature of the deceased in a purported acknowledgement letter. The money in question was meant for the treatment of the late Uzor, who came down with a kidney disease. Uzor died in a Lagos hospital shortly before he was slated to be flown outside the country for treatment.

They both face ten years’ imprisonment if convicted.