The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Enugu State Zonal Command, has arraigned Ogbu Ibekwem, Nwagbara Chidimma, Uwaezuoke Raymond, and Chidubem Mgbeke before Justice Mohammed Garba of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State.
This was disclosed in a post via the commission’s X handle on Monday.
According to the post, on February 22, 2023, Access Bank plc turned over Ibekwem, Chidimma, and Raymond, three former employees of the Nottidge branch of the bank in Onitsha, Anambra State, to the agency for embezzling N15,944,100.00.
It added that they were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
One of the counts reads, “That you, Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwe and Chidubem Angela Mgbeke, sometimes in January 2023 in Onitsha, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit, retaining the sum of N7,996,800.00 meant for evacuation to the Central Bank of Nigeria and property of Access Bank Plc Nottidge Branch, Onitsha, which you knew or ought to have known to be proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 20(b)”.
Upon hearing the charges, they pleaded not guilty.
The EFCC’s attorney, Ahmad Abdullahi, asked the court to set a trial date and remand the defendants to the Enugu State Correctional Facility in light of their pleas.
The accused were placed under EFCC custody on remand until the bail application hearing.
