EFCC Arraigns Female Lawyer for Money Laundering

Etim Ekpimah

The Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, January 14, 2022, arraigned Anumati Stella Ojevwe before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State.

Ojevwe was arraigned on a 14-count charge of money laundering. The defendant is alleged to have received the sum of N105, 000,000 (One Hundred and Five Million) from SA-FX Global investment.

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 an 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”.

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.

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.