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By 
June 06, 2019
Okoroji Stanley Chinonso, a Malaysian based man, has been arraigned
by The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, June 3, 2019,
before Justice folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Abuja. He
was arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.
He was
apprehended by the officers of the Nigerian Police on December 28, 2018 in Imo
state for allegedly participating in an organised crime. He was thereafter
handed over to the EFCC on January 3, 2019 for further investigation and
prosecution. Count one of the charge reads “That you Stanley Chinonso
Okoroji between 11th October 2017 and 8th October 2018 in Abuja within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took possession of the total sum of
N58,614,000.00 (Fifty Eight Million, Six Hundred and Fourteen Thousand Naira)
in your Ecobank PLC account no: 5091051508, which you reasonably ought to have
known to be proceeds of unlawful act to wit: participation in an organised
criminal group and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(1)(d) of
the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended by the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. In the
view of the non guilty plea, the prosecution team led by Chile Okoroma urged
the court to pick a trial date and consequently remand the defendant in prison
custody pending the The Defence counsel, Amaka Ede, notified the court of a
pending bail application that was filed and supported by a 10-paragraph
affidavit. She also acknowledged the receipt of a counter-affidavit to the bail
application from the prosecution. She however told the court that she has
adopted her written submission on the bail application.
Presiding Judge, Giwa-Ogunbanjo, after considering both
counsels’ applications and written submissions and in accordance with Section
36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which states that
an accused is innocent until proven guilty, granted the defendant bail in the
sum of N25 million with two sureties in like some.
In addition, one of the sureties must have a landed property
within FCT with evidence which must be verified while the other surety must be
a federal civil servant of Grade Level 14, who must be resident within the FCT.
The surety must show evidence of payment of tax which must be verified within
seven working days.
Furthermore, the defendant is not allowed to leave the
shores of the country; consequently, he must deposit his international passport
with the Deputy Registrar of the Court. However, the judge ruled that tje
defendant is to be remanded in the prison custody until his bail conditions are
met.
The case was adjourned to September 25, 26 and October 22,
26, 2019.
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