Court orders arrest of Dana Air MD over alleged N1.3bn fraud

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the arrest of Hathiramani Ranesh, managing director of Dana Air, after his repeated failure to appear in court for trial proceedings.

The order was issued on Monday by the presiding judge, Obiora Egwuatu, following a motion from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). Ranesh and two companies, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd, are facing a six-count charge, including allegations of involvement in a N1.3 billion fraud.

During the session, Egwuatu questioned Ranesh’s absence. Ademola Bello, legal counsel of the defendant explained that Ranesh was currently outside the country. Bello noted that the other defendants, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd, were statutory entities under Ranesh’s management and urged the court to address jurisdictional issues raised in their preliminary objection.

Expressing frustration over the defendant’s non-appearance, Justice Egwuatu ruled that Ranesh should be arrested and presented to the court on the next hearing date.

“I hereby issue a warrant of arrest for the arrest of the 1st defendant. The defendant shall appear before this court on the 13th of January, 2025, before any objection can be taken”, the Judge declared.

The court adjourned the case until 13 January 2025, when Ranesh is required to attend.

The Attorney-General’s office had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and the two companies. According to Count One, between September and December 2018, Ranesh and his co-defendants allegedly committed a felony within Dana Steel’s Katsina factory, conspiring to remove, convert, and sell four industrial generators valued at over N450 million. The equipment, part of a deed of asset debenture, had been pledged as collateral for a bond still in force.

In Count Three, the defendants allegedly conspired to fraudulently divert N864 million from Ecobank bond proceeds meant for Dana Steel’s production activities. Further allegations in Count Five include conspiring to transfer N60.3 million to an Access Bank account and diverting the funds from approved purposes.

The combined total involved in the charges is N1,374,300,000.

Justice Egwuatu cited Section 184 of the ACJA, noting that a court can issue a warrant for any defendant who fails to attend. “The 1st defendant is bound to appear before the court, and if he does not, the court can issue a warrant for his arrest,” he affirmed.

Mojisola Okeya-Esho, representing the federal government, previously called for the bench warrant, citing Ranesh’s absence in connection to the alleged N1.3 billion fraud case. However, defence lawyer Ademola Bello argued that a preliminary objection on jurisdiction had already been filed and served on the prosecution.