Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday convicted controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, for abusing the Naira and fixed April 9 for sentencing.
The court fixed the date after Bobrisky pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of tampering with the N490,000 by spraying brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Earlier, the EFCC, through its counsel, Suleiman Suleiman, had withdrawn the two-count of laundering N180.7 million through his company, BOB EXPRESS.
He did not give any reason for the decision.
Following the plea of the convict, Justice Awogboro convicted him and then ordered the anti-graft agency to review the facts of the case.
While reviewing the facts of the case, Sulaiman called an investigating officer with the Commission, Bolaji Temitope, who told the judge that the EFCC received intelligence of individuals who have the habit of mutilating and spraying Naira during parties in Lagos.
Temitope also told the court that based on intelligence, the commission sent out an operation team to monitor and observe the activities of suspects.
He said, “We usually visit event centres and monitor social media pages where Naira is abused.
“During the exercise, we came across a video on social media where the convict was seen abusing the Naira.
“Our team then proceeded to view the video and burnt the same on CD. Consequently, the invitation letter was forwarded to the defendant.
“When he honoured the invitation, the defendant was shown a video where he was spraying money on Segun Johnson. He confirmed that he was the one in the video,” he said.
The prosecution then tendered the video, and the court admitted it without objection from the defence lawyer, Ayo Olumofin.
In his allocutus, the convict pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy because he was unaware of the law that criminalises spraying of the Naira.
The convict also claimed he is a social media influencer with over five million followers.
At this point, the judge told him that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.
The convict then said, “I know my lord. My lord, I wish you could give me a second chance to use my platform to inform and educate my followers about spraying money.
“I would do a video on my page and I will educate people about spraying money. I will not repeat it, my lord; I regret my actions, my lord.”
After listening to the parties, Justice Awogboro adjourned the matter to April 9 for sentencing and also remanded the convict in the custody of the EFCC.
The defendant had arrived at court in a bus at about 9am and was kept waiting inside for over two hours before he was led into the courtroom.
Bobrisky, who wore a black gown and covered his head with a black veil, was surrounded by ten armed operatives of the EFCC who prevented journalists from taking her pictures.
The first four counts of the charge signed by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), alleged that the defendant abused the Naira, while the last two counts border on alleged money laundering.
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