EFCC Press Release
The Economics and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, 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consequently withdrawn at various ATM terminals.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 with the aim of disguising 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.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
25th February, 2015
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