The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned the trial of celebrity bartender Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, to June 25, 2024.
Okechukwu is facing three counts of alleged abuse of Naira notes.
On April 17, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Okechukwu for allegedly spraying and tampering with Naira notes during a social event at Eko Hotel in Lagos.
Okechukwu pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted a bail set at N10m.
At the previous hearing on May 2, Okechukwu’s defence counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), informed the court that both parties were exploring a settlement under Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act.
Ojukwu pointed out the potential for a plea bargain agreement, which the EFCC counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, confirmed.
Ojukwu then requested a short adjournment for the parties to report back on the settlement progress.
He also withdrew a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction, a motion which the court subsequently struck out.
The case was adjourned to June 5, 2024, for a settlement report.
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However, on Wednesday, when the matter came up, Justice Kehinde Ogundare was informed that Okechukwu’s counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, was unable to attend and had requested another adjournment.
Consequently, the case was rescheduled to June 25, 2024, for mention.
The EFCC’s charges allege that Okechukwu tampered with N500 notes while dancing at a social event, an act which contravened Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act of 2007.
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