By David Lawani, Abuja
A Prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bilikisu Bala, yesterday told a Joint Committee of the House of Representatives investigating allegations of corruption against some commission officers and the Nigeria Correctional Service that charges of money laundering dropped in the trial of Idris Okuneye (aka Bobrisky) were lawful and in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Bala, head of the prosecution team that handled Okuneye’s trial, pointed out to the Committee that the charges were dropped based on the disclosure of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, that Okunenye’s firm, Bob Express, was not a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business and Profession (DNFIBP) and could not be prosecuted for flouting provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
“We initially raised six count charges bordering on Naira Abuse and Money Laundering against Okuneye based on his confessional statement that his firm, Bob Express, was not registered with SCUML and was not rendering returns to it.
“Counts 1-4 were on Naira Abuse while counts five and six were on money laundering. Okuneye’s confession that he didn’t register his firm, Bob Express, with SCUML and did not render returns to it informed the money laundering charges initially included in the six-count charges.
“However, when we wrote to SCUML on the firm’s status, the Unit responded that it was not a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business and Profession, DNFIBP.
“We cannot lawfully sustain the charges in all sincerity. We, therefore, dropped them and relied on the four counts of naira mutilation to which Okuneye had pleaded guilty”, she said.
The prosecutor dismissed claims of financial inducement by dropping charges, maintaining that no such thing had happened.
“There is simply no basis for that. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) allows the amendment of charges. It is a professional practice. It is laughable for anyone to attribute our decision to monetary issues.
“Why did we write to SCUML if we didn’t want to include the charges? We wrote to be lawfully guided, and when the Unit responded that the firm had not breached any law, on what basis should we have retained the money laundering charges?” she queried.
Bala, who appeared before the Committee with the EFCC’s top management staff, charged the Committee to critically examine all the issues raised against the EFCC and make public its findings in the interest of justice.
The Chief of Staff to the EFCC’s Chairman, Commander of the EFCC, CE Michael Nzekwe, who stood for the Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, restated the seriousness the Commission attached to the integrity of its staff.
“We viewed the allegation of bribery against our officers seriously. Integrity is one of our core values. This is why we are here to place all the facts involved in the trial of Okuneye in the public domain”, he said.
Okuneye, an ex-convict, had alleged in a viral audio recording that he offered N15m as a bribe to some unnamed EFCC officers to drop money laundering charges against him.
*NCoS denies private apartment claims
Also, yesterday, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) denied that ex-convict Bobrisky served his sentence in an apartment outside the custodial facility in Lagos due to financial inducements.
Also, the Deputy Controller in charge of Maximum Correctional Centre Kirikiri Lagos, Michael Anukwa, said this at the investigative hearing of the House of Representatives Joint Committees on the disturbing allegations of corruption against the EFCC and the NCoS in the prosecution of Bobrisky.
While testifying before the Committee, Anukwa insisted that Bobrisky was not ever held in a facility outside the Correctional centre.
He said Bobrisky was only moved from the Kirikiri medium correctional facility to the maximum facility, where he was kept in a special cell to protect himself from other inmates.
He said Bobrisky’s case was a particular case because he is transgender and could not be put together with others.
He said due to Bobrisky’s feminine features like breasts and hips, they could not risk putting him with other inmates.
The Controller-General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, concurred with this submission.
*How I got Bobrisky’s phone recording, VeryDarkMan tells Reps
Social media influencer Martins Otse, commonly known as VeryDarkMan, shared details about how he obtained a controversial phone recording of cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky.
He stated that he received the recording from someone to whom Bobrisky owed money. VeryDarkMan submitted part of this recording to the Committee investigating bribery allegations.
He made these revelations during a session with a House of Representatives panel investigating bribery claims involving the EFCC and the NCoS.
Officials from both agencies were present as the Committees on Financial Crimes and Reformatory Institutions began investigating the allegations against them.
Initially, VeryDarkMan hesitated to speak when he noticed that Bobrisky had sent a lawyer in his place and did not appear personally.
However, lawmakers countered his reluctance and moved to compel him to address the Committee regarding the voice recording he had released. Despite this, he insisted that his lawyer should speak on his behalf.
The Committee warned him they could invoke their legislative powers to arrest him if he did not comply. Eventually, after discussions with his lawyer, VeryDarkMan agreed to address the Committee.
