The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has
arraigned the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Lexicon Multiconcept Media Limited,
Osabohem Alex Ologbosele, his company and one of his staff, Augustine Osas
Iyoha before Justice E. Akpan of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
They were arraigned on six- count amended
charges bordering on fraud, obtaining under false pretense and money
laundering to the tune of N459, 050,000 (Four Hundred and Fifty Nine Million,
Fifty Thousand Naira only).
Before the charges were read to them, the prosecuting
counsel, O.S Ujam, informed the court of her intention to substitute the
initial charges filed on March 7, 2025, with the amended charge filed on March
10, 2025. The court granted her request to substitute the charges.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Osabohien
Alex Ologbosele, sometimes in the year 2023 and 2024 in Abuja within the
jurisdiction of this Honorable court, directly took possession of the total sum
of N340,000 (Three Hundred and Forty Million Naira) paid into your account with
account number 202277***** domiciled at Kuda Microfinance bank from the account
number of Hope Onome Ogholemu with account number 08272****** domicile in
Access Bank when you knew or reasonably ought to have known that the said sum
formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and you thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and
Prohibition) Act 2022 and Punishable under 18 (3) of the same Act.
Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Lexicon
Multiconcept Media Limited, sometime in the year 2023 and 2024 in Abuja, within
the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, directly took possession of the
total sum of N16,000,000 (Sixteen Million Naira), paid into your account with
account number 63665292**** domiciled in Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, from the
account of Osebohien Alex Ologbosele with account number 2022773919 domiciled
at Kuda Microfinance bank, when you knew or reasonably ought to have known that
the said sum formed part of the proceed of an unlawful act and you thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering
(Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, and punishable under Section 18 (4) of
the same Act.
The defendants pleaded not guilty after the charges
were read to them.
In view of the not guilty plea, Ujam asked the court
for an adjournment to enable the prosecution to open its case and call
witnesses. Defence counsel, Samuel Ogala, drew the attention of the court
to an application for bail for the first and second defendant which was filed
on March 24, 2025 and the second application for the 3rd defendant, dated March
27, 2025, urging the court in the interest of justice to grant bail on liberal
terms.
However, Ujam told the judge of a 17 paragraph
affidavit in response to the counter-affidavit of the defence dated April 2,
2025 and filed same date in opposition to the application for bail, urging the
court to denial the application on the ground that the defendants are flight
risks, who stopped reporting to the EFCC office for months and may fail to
appear for their trial if granted bail.
“My lord, the first defendant was arrested in November
2023, and he left in November 2024 and did not report back till February 5,
2025, and I believe that if granted bail, he may not appear for his trial,” she
said.
Thereafter, Justice Akpan after listening to the
arguments of the two counsels on bail application adjourned the matter till May
2, 2025, for ruling for bail and ordered that the defendants be remanded in
Kuje prison.
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