Innoson and GTBank have been in a prolonged legal battle over claims by the industrialist that the bank made arbitrary deductions in his bank accounts.
Innoson CEO, Innocent Chukwuma (Daily Mail)
Guaranty Trust Bank has dismissed the media reports that the Supreme Court ordered the bank to pay the sum of N12 billion to the Chairman of Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma, within 14 days.
The bank described the statement credited to the Innoson Group Head of Corporate Communications, Cornel Osigwe, as "false, mischievous and malicious".
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 7, and obtained by Pulse, the bank said the development would not deter it from its recovery drive against recalcitrant debtors.
"The Bank's Customers and the General Public are hereby kindly urged to disregard these false statements as nothing could be further from the truth.There was no directive or Order issued by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the Bank to make any payment to any of its debtor Customers", the statement signed by the bank's Secretary, Erhi Obebeduo, said.
"The Bank as a highly responsible corporate citizen will in accordance with its culture and tradition refrain from making comments about on-going litigation matters and will continue to focus on using legal means to recover its bad debts.
"We again reiterate that there is no iota of truth in the falsehood being peddled by desperate and mischievous elements and the General Public should disregard same in its entirety," it added.
Chukwuma and GTBank have been in a prolonged legal battle over claims by the industrialist that the bank made arbitrary deductions in his bank accounts.
The bank countered the allegations, saying it was Chukwuma who allegedly falsified bank and shipping documents to obtain tax waivers from the Nigerian government.
In December, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed fraud charges against Innoson and subsequently arrested him after he was said to have failed to honour the agency's invitation.
But Chukwuma had claimed that the EFCC never invited him, accusing GTbank of using the EFCC to intimidate him.
