An interest group, Ife Concerned Citizens (ICC), has denied the allegation of fraud and forgery against one of the contenders for the stool of Ooni of Ife, Prince Adeyeye Adewusi, describing it as a “calculated and deliberate attempt to smear, malign and assassinate the character of the prince.”
A national daily had reported on Friday that Metropole Interproject Limited (MIL), a company owned by Prince Ogunwusi had been involved in forgery, fraudulent conversion and obtaining the sum of N400m by false from Sijuwade Holdings Limited (SHL), a company owned by the late Ooni, Oba Sijuwade.
According to the report, MIL was commissioned by SHL to develop an estate in Lekki Peninsula Lagos, a task which the former failed to discharge as terms of contract stipulated.
But in a statement signed by the President of ICC, Prince Leke Ijiyode, the group stated that Prince Adewusi has never committed forgery or fraud against any individual or corporate person, noting that the report is the handiwork of fifth columnists who are on the mission to smear the image of the prince, being a frontline contender for the stool of Ooni of Ife.
The group specifically denied the claim of SHL that Prince Adeyeye forged the title document of a land property at Lekki Peninsula, Lagos.
“ Adeyeye was not the author of the purported forged documents. He did not know about its existence until very recently when SHL brought it to his attention,” the group stated.
According to ICC, the project started in 2011 and it has since been completed. The group wonders why the allegation of forgery is being made at this particular time when odds favour Prince Adeyeye to succeed the late Ooni.
The statement reads: “In the joint venture/ business relationship, the late Oba had a stronger bargaining power and position. On most occasions, he simply gave instruction of what was to be done while Adeyeye would go and execute it.
“The project engaged a consultant to process the building permits and other approvals. If the consultant had presented a document in the name of the Joint Venture Partners, it was not with the objective of defrauding Kabiyesi or anyone. The project never instructed anyone to forge any signature.
“Forgery connotes tampering with document to defraud another. A careful review of the facts of this case will show that SHL has not in anyway been defrauded, neither has Prince Adeyeye nor his company (MIL) assumed or converted ownership of the land to his own benefit. Sijuwade Holdings Limited has not lost anything whatsoever. It has gotten all its entitlements under the project.
“The title to the land is still in SHL’sname and MIL still makes recourse to SHL for issuance of title documents to its subscribers. No N400Million or any sum whatsoever is lost or fraudulently converted as the screaming headline suggests.”
The group reiterated that the project was a joint venture between SHL and MIL and there is no forgery or fraud involved in their business relation. The published story is an attempt by fifth columnists to disparage the two families, said Prince Ijiyode.
“However, we have reliably gathered that both Ogunwusi and Sijuwade families have smoothen the rough edges and would be granting press conference to clear the air tomorrow (Monday),” he disclosed.
culled from The Sun
Posted by Jamal
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