EFCC Arraigns Lawyer For Alleged N38.8m Money Laundering Offence

A legal practitioner Folawunmi Awonusi was arraigned yesterday
before Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court sitting in
Ibadan, Oyo State, casefileng reports.^[1]

The lawyer was brought before the court by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He was charged for a two-count charge bordering on money
laundering to the tune of 38, 800, 000 Naira (Thirty Eight Million,
Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) only.

The defendant was said to have allegedly made cash payments of
the sum of money in tranches of 22,300,000 Naira and 16, 500,000
Naira to one Olakanye Olalekan.

The offence is contrary to Sections 1(a) and 16(d) of the Money
Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under
Section (16)(2)(b) of the same Act.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Folawunmi Awonusi, on or
about the 16th day of January 2018, within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, without going through a financial institution,
made cash payment of the sum of N22,300,000 to one Olakanye
Olalekan, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law.”

Another count reads: “That you, Folawunmi Awonusi, on or about
the 11th day of January 2018, within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, without going through a financial institution,
made cash payment of the sum of N16,500,000 to one Olakanye
Olalekan, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law”.

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Idris Mohammed,
asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant
in prison custody pending the determination of the case.

Counsel to the defendant, M. Onaha, informed the court that
application for bail had been filed and served on the
prosecution.

He, therefore, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

Mohammed, however, opposed the bail application, which he said
was served on him on January 9, 2019.

He further submitted that the prosecution was still within the
time frame, as provided by the law, to file a
counter-affidavit.

He, therefore, asked the court for a date to hear the bail
application.

Justice Ajoku adjourned the matter to Wednesday, January 16,
2019 for hearing of the bail application, and February 5, 2019 for
commencement of trial.

The defendant was remanded in Agodi Prison pending the
determination of his bail application.