17th January, 2022
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned Delta lawyer, Anumati Stella Ojevwe at the Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State.
Ojevwe was arraigned before Justice Okon Abang of on a 14-count charge of money laundering.
She was alleged to have received N105 million from SA-FX Global Investment, being proceeds of unlawful activity.
One of the counts 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”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was 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 30 January, 2022 for hearing.
The judge also ordered that Stella Ojevwe be remanded at the Correctional Facility in Sapele, Delta State.