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Speaker 1: High Court sitting in Legos State, Nigeria, has sentenced an

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American citizen, Marko Ramirez to sixty eight years imprisonment for

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defrauded on suspecting Nigerians the sum of one point six

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million dollars deceiving them with fret visa application. According to EFCAC,

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the convicted American citizen carried out the frauduland acts in

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twenty thirteen using a company name. Details of the report

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and other news item as presented by the Press unit

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of EFCC ies below those. Justice Mogicula Dada of the

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Special Offenses called sitting in Ikeja, Legos on Tuesday, September tenth,

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twenty twenty four, convicted an American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramires

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for one point two million dollars eb five visas count.

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The judge also convicted him for a separate three hundred

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and sixty eight thousand, six hundred and ninety eight dollars

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and twenty four cents fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes

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Commission EFCC prosecuted Ramires alongside his companies USA and O

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W LLC, EGO, Ford Installage Group LP and USN NOW

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Energy Capital Group LP for an alleged one million, two

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hundred and thirty five thousand dollars EV five business count.

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The defendants allegedly obtained the money from his victims as

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processing fees for their investments in his company, usn NOW

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Energy Capital Group LP in the employment based fifth Preference

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EB five United States of America Investor Program, which would

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qualify them to be eligible for the issues of USA

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Green Card. The defendant, however, allegedly reneged on his promise.

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He was initially arranged on a twelve count charge, to

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which he pleaded not guilty. He was also re arranged

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by the EFCC on June twenty fourth, twenty twenty two,

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on a MSN sixteen count charge. Count thirteen of the

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amended charge reads, Marco Antonio Ramires USA n or w

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LLC EGO Fourth Installage Group LP and usn now Energy

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Capital Group LP. Between the fifth of February twenty thirteen

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and the eighteenth of April twenty thirteen, at Legos, within

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the jurisdiction of this honorable Court, this honorably converted to

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your personal use. They aggregate sum of five hundred and

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forty five thousand dollars property of godsom On MH H.

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Gild Count fourteen reads Marco Antonio Ramires USA, n OR

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W LLC and USN NOW Energy Capital Group LP. Between

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the twelfth of July twenty twelfth and the seventh of

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November twenty twelve at Legos, within the jurisdiction of this

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honorable Court, this honorably converted to your personal use the

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aggregate sum of three hundred and fourteen thousand, eight hundred

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dollars property of Albubaca Masadig Clount fifteen reads Marco Antonio Ramirez, USA,

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n O W LLC and USN NOW Energy Capital Group LP.

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Between the nineteenth of February twenty thirteen and the eighteenth

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of Aprium twenty thirteen at Legos, within the jurisdiction of

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this honorable Court, this honorably converted to your personal use.

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They aggregate some of two hundred and thirty thousand dollars

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property of Abubaka U Masadik the prosecuting Council ms or WEN.

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They tended several documentary evidence and called witnesses to substantiate

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the allegations against him. Ramirez had also been taken to

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the doctor to defriend himself of the alleged fraud In

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the course of the trial, he secured the services of

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Lowell Pedro San The matter, however, suffered several adjointments at

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the stage of adoption of final retting addresses. The adoption

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finally took place on a twenty twenty four. Subsequently, Justice

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that Are joint till today September tenth, twenty twenty four

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for judgment. As the resumed on Tuesday, Justice that Are

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held that the prosecution proved its case against Ramirez beyond

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reason level doubts. He was thereafter found guilty as charged

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and sentenced to ten years each on counts one to

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twelve bordering on obtaining by false pretense, and ten years

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each on counts thirteen to sixteen bordering on stealing. Also

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on Tuesday, September tenth, twenty twenty four, Justice that Are

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found Ramirez guilty on separate amended nine count charge bordering

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on an alleged three hundred and sixty eight thousand, six

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hundred and ninety eight dollars and twenty four cents fraud

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filed against him by the EFSAC. One of the count’s

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raids Marco Antonio Ramirez USA and O W LLC and

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USN now Energy Capital Group LP on all about the

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twenty sixth day of July twenty thirteen, at Legos, within

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the jurisdiction of this honorable Code, with intent to defraud

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obtain the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars

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from Gabriel ogi Edeobun, under the falls representation that the

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sum was his investment in your company USN now Energy

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Capital Group LP in the Employment based fifth Preference EB

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five United States of America Investor Program, which investment will

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qualify him to be eligible to a USA Green Card,

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and which representation you knew to be false. Another count

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raads Marco Antonio Ramirez on all about the fifth day

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of March twenty fourteen, at Legos, within the jurisdiction of

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this honorable Code, with the intent to defraud obtain the

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sum of fifty thousand, two hundred and eighteen one dollars

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and thirty three cents from ordinary talary, under the false

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representation that the sensum is to procure United States of

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America Elmont visa program for him, which representation you knew

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to be false. He also pleaded not guilty to the

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charges when they were raised to him. The prosecuting Council

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s Oldagi also tended several documentary evidence against him and

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called witnesses to testify against him. The procedents had also

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suffered several adjointments occasioned by the absence of the Defense

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Council Lawald Pedro San and the inability of the defense

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to file its own final written addresses in good time,

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even after the Prosecution Council LSD and s O Dadgy

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had filed THEIRS for the separate charges respectively after the adoption.

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On May s twenty twenty four, Justice that are also

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adjoint till Tuesday for judgment delivering judgment. Justice that are

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held that the prosecution proved its case against Amurrance beyond

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reasonable doubts. Consequently, Justice that has sentenced him to eight

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years each on counts one to six and ten years

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each on count seven to eight. Only koya Da vows

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to sanitize the banking sector. The Executive Chairman of the

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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission efcac Onlkyda has declared the

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result of the Commission to deploy a romost enforcement of

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the country’s financial laws and regulations towards sanitizing the banking

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secto and insulate it from rogue activities. He met the

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declaration on Tuesday, September tenth, twenty twenty four at the

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Chartel Institute of Bankers of Nigeria se ib and seventeenth

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Annual Banking and Finance Conference with the theme Accelerated Economic

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Growth and Development, the State of Play and the Way Forward,

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held at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel. Abuja I

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went both to tell you with every sense of Humians

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that we are no longer folding our arms. As a

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matter of fact, some of the mind bubbling nature financial

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fraud and onslopes that have been carried out against the

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economy run through the banking industry. We are committed to

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working with the Institute in sanitarizing the financial services settled

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through romost enforcement of our financial laws and insulating it

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from impact from criminals, both from within and from without,

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he said. Speaking further, he iterated that enforcements of extant

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laws and penal sanctions would be decisively applied in the

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Clinton en devil, adding that no one would be spurred,

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including Arrant top officials of the banking and financial sector,

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inasmuch as we are ready to work with you to

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sanitarize the system We must also note that it is

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extremely important to state that when there are criminal infractions,

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penal sanctions will follow. We have compiled our documents, we

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have learnt the necessary investigations, we have concluded, and very

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soon you will see some bank skialed, prosecuted, and top

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officials prosecuted. We need to just do something drastic to

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bring everybody in line. To do the right thing is

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extremely important. In a system where there are no penal

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sanctions for criminal infractions, that system will never survive. From

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our experience with the investigation of financial crimes involving members

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of the banking profession, there is gross content for regulations

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that bother on impunity. Operators secretly devise means to circumvent

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regulations and roles in the desperate bid for higher yields.

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Sharp practices such as for X round tripping, the frauding

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of investors through phantom charges, and complicity in money laundering

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and elicit financial flow involving politically exposed persons continue to

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undermine the integrity of the subtle and, by extension, the

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nation’s economy. Look at yourselves in the mirror and leave

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this place with renewed commitment to professionalism and determination to

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provide services that will assist the growth and development of

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the Nigerian economy, he said. Speaking on the challenges first

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in the country, Vice President Kashum Chatemau, who represented President

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Bolla and me Tinamu, stated that the country first a

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host of interconnected challenges that affect all aspects of the

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national economy, ranging from high inflation, rising costs of living

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and infrastructural deficits, and the ongoing effects of global economic shifts.

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He however, notes that the challenges also present opportunities of

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growth and development. According to the President, the tale of

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the event will enable the government to evaluate where we

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stand as a nation, understand the root causes of our

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economic challenges, and explore actionable strategies to accelerate growth and

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development sustainably and include usibly. The way forward, he said,

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required collaboration across all sectors government, private industries and the

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civil society, and in that to achieve sustained economic growth,

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we must intentionally align our policies and actions with the

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changing global landscape. The government is committed to implementing reforms

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to enhance microeconomic stability, reduce inflation, and support infrastructural development.

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The President tasks the private sector on innovativelies and strategic

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investment in key growth areas of the economy. As the

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government accelerates capacity building, we must also focus on capacity building,

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talent development and youth empowerment. The future of the Nigerian

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economy lies in the hands of our youths and we

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must equip them with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed

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to drive our nation forward. The journey ahead will require determination,

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resilience and collective action. I am confident that with the

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continued support from the leadership of the Nigerian banking and

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financial sector, we will accelerate our economic growth and development.

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We will charge a path that ensures prosperity for all

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Nigerians and position our nation as a vehicle of stability

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and opportunity in the African continent, he said. In his

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opening remarks, President of CIBN, Professor files or Landrewaju, pointed

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to the institute’s increasing global influence with the participation of

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several African countries in its yearly Conference care towards the

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Evolution of Actionable Outcomes. In his keynote address, Tony Aluminum,

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Chairman of US Holdings, acknowledged that twenty twenty four has

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been a tough year for the country, marked by inflation

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and the trend imbolance, and called for long term solutions

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rather than quick fixes printed you prints in a mortgagei

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ware