By Deborah Hassan
365Daily– The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a lawyer, Anumati Stella Ojevwe, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State for alleged money laundering.
The Benin Command of the agency arraigned the accused on a 14-count charge involving the sum of N105, 000,000 (One Hundred and Five Million) from SA-FX Global investment on Friday, January 14, 2022.
This was disclosed in a press statement by the spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, on Monday, January 17, 2022.
He said one of the charges reads: “That you Anumati Stella Ojevwe (f) on or about the 27th day of October, 2020 at Delta State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly took possession or control of the sum of N20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Naira) deposited by a cheque number 00000064 belonging to SA-FX Global) into your bank account number 2150009622 domiciled in Ecobank which funds you knew or reasonably ought to have known forms part of unlawful act of Smart Alban Ike to wit: obtaining by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended in 2012) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.
Uwujaren said the defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her, adding that in view of her plea, the prosecution counsel, K.Y. Bello, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the defendant at a Correctional Facility.
Efforts by the defence counsel to secure bail for his client orally was opposed by Bello.
Justice Abang ordered the defence counsel to file a formal bail application and adjourned the matter till 30th January, 2022, for hearing.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Facility in Sapele, Delta State.