The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office on Monday arraigned Mary Masirat Akerele on a five count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N35.52 million before Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of Ogun State High Court 4, Abeokuta.
Trouble started for the 46-year-old socialite, who resides in Aseko area of Idiroko, Ogun State when the EFCC received a petition alleging that she collected the said sum in instalments from one Alhaja Abike Oladoja for the purpose of supplying four truck-load of rice from a rice milling company in Bida, Niger State, but diverted the funds.
One of the charges read: “That you Mary Masirat Akerele (trading under the name and style of Goodness of Jesus Global Ventures) on or about the 19th day of September, 2018 at Abeokuta within the Abeokuta Judicial Division of the Honourable Court, fraudulently converted to the your own use the sum of Eleven Million Naira (N11, 000,000.00) only property of Fausia Abike Oladoja and thereby committed an offence of stealing contrary to Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, laws of Ogun State, 2006.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.
Counsel to Akerele, H. A. Omikunle, made an oral application for his client’s bail.
However, Shamsuddeen Bashir, counsel to the EFCC, opposed the application due to the defendant’s failure to keep the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted her.
Justice Akinyemi adjourned the case till March 4 for determination of the bail application, ordering the remand of the defendant in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta.
