A 40-year-old carpenter, Sunday Agada, was on Monday docked in a Karu Grade I Area Court in Abuja, for allegedly swindling his client of N400,000.

The police charged Agada with criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal misappropriation.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Ade Adeyanju, told the court that the complainant, Ochuba Njidea of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) academy in Karu, Abuja entrusted the sum of N400,000 to him for a set of chairs, but with the intent to cheat, he dishonestly converted all the money to his personal use and failed to produce the work as agreed.

During the police investigation, he said, the defendant confessed to the crime.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312, 322 and 309 of the Penal Code.

The Judge, Umar Mayana, granted the defendant bail and ordered that a deposit of N400,000 be made as bail bond.

He said that the sureties must live within the court’s jurisdiction, and their addresses would be verified by court officers.

The judge adjourned the case until October 11 for further hearing.