Philip Nyam 
How I got the audio-VeryDarkMan
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday clarified that it did not drop money laundering allegations against a popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye (aka Bobrisky) due to any financial inducements as alleged.
Testifying before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee led by Ginger Onwusibe investigating allegations of N15mliion against the EFCC and Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) by a blogger, Martins Otse (aka VeryDarkMan), EFCC’s prosecutor, Bilkisu Buhari, explained that the anti-graft agency had earlier charged Bobrisky for not rendering returns of his company, Bob Express contrary to the Money Laundering Act, Section 6.1 and punishable under Section 19 of the same Act.
She noted that the EFCC moved the motion on the 5th of April 2024, for the court to hear the matter because it was a vacation matter and was granted leave to proceed with trial.
Buhari told the committee that, “notwith – standing the unequivocal confession of the ex-convict, convicting the essential ingredients in Counts 5 and 6 of the charge and having indicated willingness to plead guilty to Counts 1 and 4 of the charge, which has to do with mutilating of the Naira currency.
“The prosecution in total fidelity and conduct its own and strict adherence to professional practice of not only disclosing exculpatory documents in defence, having received a report of investigation activities from Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) which showed that Bob Express is not a designated nonfinancial business and profession, decided to drop Counts 5 and 6 of the charge in the interest of justice and fair hearing, without any inducement or prompting of any sort from the defence, and in line with the mandate of the Special Task Force against Naira abuse, we attached the response from SCUML”.
Explaining further, the prosecutor said: “We also attached the charge showing Counts 1 to 6. “There was no amendment of charge. The dropping of Counts 5 and 6 was done in court because the exconvict elected to plead guilty to Counts 1 and 4, which had to do with naira abuse.
In any event, Counts 5 and 6, which had to do with not rendering returns to (2:07) SCUML showed that it was not the Bob Express which he used to trade, is not a designated non-financial business and profession.
“That’s what informed our decision to drop Counts 5 and 6 in court. An amendment of charges is not alien to practice, particularly Sections 216 of ACJA 2015. “It is also noteworthy that the alteration made by the prosecution did not contravene any prohibition of external policies of the Commission and its standard operating procedures.
“We have amended charges severally in court when the need arises. “The steps taken by the prosecution in this proceeding, dropping Counts 5 and 6, which is akin to an amendment of the charges, can take place at any time before judgement, is not alien as the Commission has in numerous instances had recourse to amend, add or subtract from the body of the Counts of the charge preferred against defendants, and this will not be the last.
Continued Online
