The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared a British citizen of Indian descent, Deepak Khilnani, wanted after failing to appear in Court to respond to charges of several counts on alleged conspiracy, fraud, stealing and money laundering against him.
The anti-graft agency made the declaration in publications on its website and national newspapers in Nigeria.
The EFCC in suit number: FHC/L/588/2022, filed in the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State on October 18, 2022, charged Khilnani and a company in which he allegedly has stake with: “Conspiracy to alter and file at Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja fraudulent resolution on allotment of Shares….”
The charges also included “forgery of the signatures of (names withheld) contained on a Take Over Certificate with intent that it may be acted upon as Genuine”
The EFCC alleged that Khilnani had been under its investigation since 2017, during which time the 63-year-old businessman attempted different ways to avoid investigation and arraignment.
It was gathered that the alleged fugitive jumped administrative bail, subsequently left for the United Kingdom and failed to honour the several invitations of the anti-graft agency.
Following this, EFCC placed Khilnani on its watchlist at all Nigerian ports of entry.
He was said to have returned in January 2018, was arrested and detained at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and handed over to the authorities.
Details about his many alleged crimes indicated that in May 2019, Khilnani deposited a British bank cheque for £4,620,000 at the EFCC Zonal Office in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
The cheque was payable to his former employers and was believed to be part of refund of the money he allegedly stole.
However, the cheque bounced as it was not honoured by the British bank.
Similarly, in December of the same year, shortly after the UK cheque saga, Khilnani’s lawyers prosecuted his former employers and the EFCC to court in a civil Suit No. FHC/L/CS/2266/2019 where they sought: “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 4th Defendant (EFCC) from further Mediation, or inviting the Plaintiffs (Khilnani and or), or questioning the Plaintiffs, or instituting any Charge against the Plaintiffs…”
Still, the EFCC investigated the alleged crime and the case was eventually struck out in February 2022 due to the court’s lack of jurisdiction.
In October 2022, five years after investigation and legal tussle, the EFCC charged Khilnani to court for financial crimes.
When he declined the Court summons to appear in court, the EFCC in March 2023 obtained the Court’s Order and declared Khilnani wanted.
This was order was published in the May 17, 2023 edition of The PUNCH newspaper as well as on the EFCC website.
The case is again due for hearing in July 2023.