On Monday, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an arrest warrant for Dana Air’s Managing Director, Mr. Ranesh Hathiramani, due to his alleged failure to appear in court for trial.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Ranesh’s arrest was necessary after he was served with charges and other court proceedings but continued to be absent. Citing Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, Justice Egwuatu emphasized that the court could issue an arrest warrant if a defendant refuses to attend court. “The 1st defendant is obligated to appear before the court, and if he fails, the court has the authority to issue an arrest warrant,” the judge stated. He further ordered that Ranesh appear before the court on January 13, 2025, before any objections could be raised.
The case was adjourned to January 13, 2025, for further hearing., the Federal Government, represented by attorney Mojisola-Okeya Esho, had earlier requested the court issue a bench warrant on October 10 for Ranesh’s refusal to attend his arraignment in connection with an alleged N1.3 billion fraud brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation .
Defense attorney B. Ademola-Bello argued against Esho’s request, citing a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction, which had already been served to the prosecution. However, Esho contended that the preliminary objection should be addressed only after the defendants were arraigned. The judge scheduled the case for arraignment and/or a preliminary objection hearing on November 4.
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The AGF filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two companies, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd, as co-defendants. The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021, allege felony and financial crimes committed from September to December 2018, including the illegal sale of industrial generators valued at over N450 million and the misappropriation of N864 million intended for Dana Steel’s production resumption in Katsina.
Additionally, the defendants are accused of transferring N60.3 million into a separate account, funds meant for the steel factory’s recovery. These charges involve an aggregate sum of N1,374,300,000, allegedly in violation of Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
When the case resumed on Monday, Ademola-Bello informed the court of a written address on points of law, as directed during the last adjournment. Justice Egwuatu questioned the whereabouts of Ranesh, with Ademola-Bello explaining that his client was outside the country, and the other two defendants were corporate entities under Ranesh’s management. Justice Egwuatu, expressing concern over the defendants’ absence, ruled that Ranesh be arrested and brought to court at the next hearing date.
CredibleNews.ng
