The Federal High Court, Warri in Delta State Friday ordered a female lawyer, Anumati Stella Ojevwe, to be remanded in Correctional Centre, Sapele for alleged money laundering.
The court presided by Justice Okon Abang ordered the defence counsel to file a formal bail application and adjourned the matter to January 31, 2022 for hearing.
The Benin Zonal Command of the Economic Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the lawyer on a 14-count charge of money laundering.
The defendant is alleged to have received N105, 000,000 (One Hundred and Five Million) from SA-FX Global investment.
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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 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.”
During the trial, the defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.
Following 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.
