The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 53-year-old man, Francis Wilson, for allegedly forging a Notice of Approval for the registration of a business firm under the Corporate Affairs Commission.
A copy of the document, The Punch reports, showed that it was produced for one Vinas Globa Enterprises, at the Federal Capital Territory.
It also revealed that the Notice of Approval was by one Bakori Aminu, with serial number: 02420219017 and reserved from November 11, 2015 to January 10, 2016.
The suspect, however, denied the said allegation and claimed that the said document was mistakenly forged.
Wilson, who according to reports was nabbed at about 3pm on Wednesday after a case of forgery was reported at the New Etete Police Division in Benin, the state capital, had allegedly forged the document for the sum of N20,000 and had severally engaged in the act of defrauding unsuspecting members of the public, while pretending to be consulting for the CAC.
The suspect also claimed to have worked with the federal agency for over 20 years, with no fewer than 40 companies, which claimed to have been “duly registered” within the period.
According to him, ”I was arrested over the claim that I forged a document, an availability form.
“It was a mistake; I have been with them (CAC) for 20 years. I am not a habitual criminal. I am a consultant; I help people to register companies. I have a lawyer friend whose firm I use to register people.”
Wilson, who also claimed to be a widower, said, “When we submitted the document to the CAC and they detected it. I told them that I got it from a friend in Abuja.
“In the course of the discussion, I told the head of the CAC and we had an agreement that the matter should not go to the police.
“So he asked me to give him an undertaking, and I wrote that I take full responsibility for whatever must have happened so that the matter would die. All of a sudden, I was surprised that he now called the police to arrest me,” Wilson added.
While confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Osifo Abiodun, said the victim confessed to the crime and would be charged to court at the end of the investigations.
Abiodun said, ”Operatives of the New Etete division were alerted; the suspect was subsequently arrested and interrogated.
“He had made a confessional statement to the alleged crime.
“As soon as investigation is completed, the suspect will be charged to court,” the PPRO stated.
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