Felix John Ella, an Abuja-based software developer, has been dragged to court. He was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on money laundering charges involving N3.7 million. He was slammed with charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a criminal charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/123/2022. Ella, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Johnfelix IT Company, was said to have used electronics gift, Apple and Visa credit cards to obtain N3,758,960 via United Bank of Africa (UBA) account number 2159267033.
The offence, contrary to Section 33 of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act 2015, was reportedly committed on January 12, 2022. However, when the charge signed by one Ramia Ikhanaede of the EFCC Legal Department was read, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the 2-count charge. His lawyer, Emmanuel Chinedu, however, prayed to the trial judge, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo, to admit his client to bail for various reasons.
Among others, he promised that the defendant would not jump bail or compromise any of the witnesses of the anti-graft agency. Chinedu also drew the attention of the Judge to the effect that the alleged offence is a bailable one, having not been a capital offence and that the defendant would opt for a speedy trial to establish his innocence. In a brief ruling, Justice Ekwo admitted the IT Consultant to bail in the sum of N2 million and a surety in the like sum. The surety must, however, be a landed property owner in Abuja with a title deed whose original must be deposited with the court for the period of trial. Justice Ekwo also ordered that the surety drop his international travelling passport with the court and shall not travel out of Nigeria without the permission of the court.
Similarly, the Judge ordered that the defendant shall not travel out of Abuja throughout the trial. Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, Justice Ekwo ordered that the defendant be kept at Kuje prison in Abuja. Meanwhile, the full-blown trial has been fixed for February 6, 7 and 8 next year.
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