The Federal Government has requested a Federal High Court in Abuja to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Dana Air Managing Director, Mr. Hathiramani Ranesh, over his failure to appear in court for arraignment in an alleged N1.3 billion fraud case.
Counsel for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mojisola Okeya, made the application before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, stating that Ranesh had repeatedly failed to attend court proceedings related to the charges.
The case involves a six-count charge filed by the AGF's office, alleging that Ranesh, Dana Group PLC, and Dana Steel Ltd conspired to commit fraud involving N1.3 billion. The charges, filed by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Moshood Adeyemi, accuse the defendants of illegally removing, converting, and selling industrial generators worth over N450 million, as well as diverting N864 million from bond proceeds meant for the resuscitation of Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina.
Despite the charges, Ranesh has not attended any previous court proceedings. When the case was called on Thursday, Okeya requested the court issue a bench warrant for his arrest. However, defense lawyer B. Ademola-Bello argued that a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction had already been filed and should be addressed before arraignment.
Justice Egwuatu adjourned the case to November 4, instructing both parties to argue whether the preliminary objection should be considered before the arraignment.
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