By Kehinde Olasanmi

LAGOS-The Court of Appeal, Lagos has quashed a N314 million fraud charge against a Lagos lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Achukwu on the ground that the offences brought against him did not disclose any prima facie case.

The lawyer, who was arraigned by the Attorney-General of the Federation, before Justice Pat Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in 2009 for forgery, fraud and alteration, was accused of swindling two foreign firms, Arkville and Marbach Global Trading Company of the sum of N314 million.

However, before taken his plea, he objected to the offences while asking the trial court to quash the charges on ground of incompetence, further contending that that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him and that he committed no offence known to law.

The trial judge, in her ruling, upheld the prosecution’s argument.

Reprieve, however, came Achukwu’s way when the Appeal Court in its judgment, upheld Achukwu’s objection to the charge and discharged him of the charges.

The appellate court set aside the May 10, 2010 ruling of the lower court and quashed the charge for being incompetent.