Two men claiming to be high-ranking officials in the Nigerian Central Bank tried to get an American businessman to part with $2 million in exchange for a forged $32 million bank draft, it was claimed yesterday in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Mr Terry Smith, owner of the American Plumbing Company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said that one of the men rang his hotel room and claimed to be an assistant to the president of the Nigerian Central Bank.
Prosecutors claim a five-man group were trying to dupe Mr Smith into parting with $2 million after forming a fraudulent finance company. Mr Smith told the jury on the fifth day of the trial that a Dublin-based organisation called World Wide Clearing and Finance wrote to him at his offices telling him that they could help him get $32 million in Nigerian government funds. Mr Smith said he rang the World Wide Clearing and Finance office in Baggot Street, Dublin and arranged to meet a man who identified himself as Richard Holborn.
Prosecutors allege that "Mr Holborn" was really Mr Thomas Patrick O'Brien, one of the accused. Mr Smith flew to Dublin on February 17th, 1999, and called to the World Wide Clearing and Finance office the next day.
With Holborn and another man who identified himself as "David Baker", whom the prosecution claim is another of the accused, Mr Smith went to a Bank of Ireland branch in Terenure to collect the $32 million bank draft. Later Mr Smith met another man who introduced himself as auditor of the Nigerian Central Bank. Mr Smith said he had "substantial doubts" about World Wide Clearing and Finance and returned to Baton Rouge after a few days.
The accused are: Mr Christian Obumneme, (35), Prussia Street, Dublin; Mr Thomas Anthony 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, Palmerston.
The trial continues.