The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday issued an arrest warrant against the managing director of Dana Air, Hathiramani Ranesh, over alleged refusal to appear in court to stand trial.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, held that the arrest of Mr Ranesh is necessary following his refusal to appear in court after he was served with the charge and several proceedings taken in the matter.

Mr Egwuatu held that in line with section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the court can issue an arrest warrant against any defendant who refuses to appear in court.

“Accordingly, relying on the said provision, I hereby issued a warrant of arrest for the arrest of the first defendant.

“The defendant shall appear before this court on 13th of January, 2025 before any objection can be taken,” he said.

The judge then adjourned the matter until January 13, 2025, for the hearing.

The federal government, through its lawyer, Mojisola-Okeya Esho, had, on October 10, prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Dana Air.

Ms Esho had argued that Mr Ranesh had refused to appear for his arraignment in the alleged N1.3 billion fraud preferred against him by the Office of the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF).

But the defence lawyer, B. Ademola-Bello, disagreed with Ms Esho.

He argued that they had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the prosecution had already been served.

The AGF had filed a six-count charge against Mr Ranesh and two others.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021 and filed by Moshood Adeyemi, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd were joined as second and third defendants, respectively.

In count one, Mr Ranesh and the two companies, alongside others at large, were alleged to have committed a felony between September and December 2018 within the premises of DANA Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina.

They were alleged to have conspired to remove, convert and sell four units of industrial generators, “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times.”

In count three, the defendants and others at large at House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos, between April 7 and 8, 2014, were alleged to have conspired to fraudulently divert the sum of N864 million.

The money was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.

In count five, the defendants and others at large were alleged to have “conspired to fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (sixty million three hundred thousand naira).”

The money was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.

The cumulative sum of the amount involved in the charge is N1,374,300,000.

All the offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Mr Ranesh had not appeared in court since the case commenced before Justice Egwuatu.

(NAN)