The Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on February 25, 2015 arraigned one Akpere Ovine Desmond before Justice Abubakar Shitu of the Federal High Court, Warri, Delta State on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.
The petitioner had alleged that on
May 29, 2012, he received a phone call from one Mr. Taiwo Ogunsanyo who claimed
to be a staff of First Bank Nigeria Plc. According to him, Taiwo claimed the
bank was updating customers’ security information and requested for his token
number, phone number and corporate identity number.
He sent all the details as requested
and, to his surprise, he received a debit alert of the withdrawal of the sum of
Six Million Naira (N6, 000,000.00) from his company, First Ambition investment
Limited’s account with First Bank.
A trail of the funds, led
investigators to an account( number 2060211484) at the United Bank for Africa
Plc (UBA) belonging to one Frank Asemota, from where the money was transferred
to different accounts and consequently withdrawn at various ATM terminals.
Akpere Ovine Desmond whose account was flagged was arrested in Access Bank,
Benin, Edo State with 44 ATM cards.
Investigation further revealed that
the accused person conspired with others to launder the six million naira (N6,
000,000.00) proceed of the scam. Count one reads, “that you Akpere Ovine
Desmond on or about the 29th day of May, 2013 at Sapele, Delta State, within
the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did convert the sum of six million
naira (N6,000,000.00) belonging to one Taiwo Aremu Waheed, which you derived
from the money illegally transferred into the account of one
Frank Asemota domiciled at United
Bank for Africa (UBA) with account number 2060211484.
The aim was to disguise the origin of the money
and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15
(3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Adebayo Soares asked for a date
for trial but the defence counsel, D.O Afure presented an application for bail
of the accused before the court.
Justice Abubakar granted the accused bail in
the sum of three million naira( N3,000,000.00) and two sureties in like sum,
who must be resident within the Jurisdiction court,.
Additionally, one of the sureties
must have a landed property with Certificate of Occupancy in Delta State. The
matter was adjourned till April 29, 2015 for trial.
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