The Federal High Court in Lagos State, on Wednesday, granted businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, ₦10 million bail with two sureties in like sum.
During the proceedings, Cubana
Chief Priest pleaded not guilty to tampering and abusing the naira. The charges
against him include allegations of spraying and tampering with the nation’s
currency at a social event, contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act
of 2007.
Arraigned before Justice
Kehinde Ogundare, Cubana Chief Priest faced three counts related to the abuse
of the naira. It was alleged that he sprayed the currency during a social event
at Eko Hotel on February 13, 2024, and also tampered with funds in the
denomination of N500 notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The charge, marked
FHC/L/246/2024, obtained by The PUNCH, detailed the allegations, including
incidents from 2020 where Cubana Chief Priest was said to have tampered with
funds during social events in Lagos.
The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been probing several celebrities over alleged
abuse of Naira notes, with popular cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as
Bobrisky, recently convicted on similar charges. Bobrisky was sentenced to six
months in prison on Friday, April 12, 2024.
In response to inquiries, EFCC
spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, emphasized the commission's commitment to thorough
investigations and enforcement of relevant laws, cautioning the public against
violating regulations governing currency handling.
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