A blood-smeared $56.5 million bank draft was recovered from a man's mouth after three gardai pinned him to a pavement, a fraud trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Det Sgt Ronan Galligan, of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, said he pulled back Mr Christian Obumneme's head and tried to remove the bank draft. Mr Obumneme resisted violently and it was another half-hour before he spat the bank draft out at Pearse Street Garda station.
Gardai later found a South African passport bearing Mr Obumneme's photograph but under a different name. It was the 12th day of the trial of five men accused of fraud involving over $143 million worth of forged bank drafts.
The prosecution alleges that Mr Obumneme and another accused, Mr Thomas O'Brien, were bringing a German businessman to the Bank of Ireland branch at College Green as part of a plan to defraud him of millions of dollars. They also allege that the pair were involved in a fraudulent company called World Wide Clearing and Finance, which operated from an office in Lower Baggot Street, Dublin.
Det Sgt Galligan denied suggestions by Mr Obumneme's counsel, Mr John Phelan SC, that he used excessive force.
The accused are: Mr Christian Obumneme (35), Prussia Street, Dublin; Mr Thomas O'Brien (61), of Kent Walk, London; Mr Raymond Folkes (38), of Dunstans Road, London; Mr Achike Okigbo (26), Blessington Street, Dublin; and Mr Obiora Uzodike (29), of Oakcourt Avenue, Palmerstown.
They have also pleaded not guilty to trying to defraud Mr Heinz Althoff by forming a fraudulent company. The five are also charged that between the same dates they claimed they had bank drafts in their possession worth $32,000,000 and sought $2 million from Mr Terry Smith in exchange for them.
The trial continues before Judge Patrick McCartan.