The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned socialite Mary Akerele on a five-count charge bordering on stealing N35.5 million before Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of Ogun State High Court 4, Abeokuta.
The EFCC had received a petition alleging that the 46-year-old, who resides in Aseko area of Idiroko, Ogun State, collected the said sum in installments from Oladoja Abike for the purpose of supplying four truck-load of rice from a rice milling company at Bida, Niger State but diverted the funds.
One of the charges reads: “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 to the charges.
Counsel to the defendant H. A. Omikunle made an oral application for his client’s bail.
However, EFCC’s counsel Shamsuddeen Bashir 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 and ordered the remand of the defendant in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta.
