Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos struck out the charges against popular celebrity bartender Pascal Okechukwu, famously known as Cubana Chief Priest, concerning allegations of Naira abuse.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, followed the adoption of a settlement agreement between the parties involved.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially arraigned Okechukwu on April 17, 2024, on three counts related to the alleged spraying and tampering with Naira notes during a social event held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.
The charges were grounded on the alleged misuse of Naira notes in denominations of N500 while Okechukwu was dancing, a violation of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act of 2007.
Okechukwu, who pleaded not guilty, was granted bail set at N10 million and was subsequently released to his lawyer.
On May 2, 2024, during a court session, Okechukwu’s defense counsel, Mr. Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), indicated that both parties were pursuing a settlement in accordance with Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act.
This move led to the withdrawal of a preliminary objection by the defense, a request which faced no opposition from the prosecution and was consequently granted by the court.
The case was then adjourned to June 5, 2024, for a settlement report.
However, the June 5 hearing did not proceed as planned due to the absence of the defense counsel, who had sought an adjournment through a letter to the court. The session was consequently postponed to June 25, 2024.
On the latest court date, the EFCC’s prosecutor, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, and the defense counsel, Mr. Ojukwu, presented and adopted the terms of the settlement dated June 24.
Following their submissions, Mr. Ojukwu requested the court to dismiss the case, emphasizing that part of the agreed obligations had been fulfilled.
Justice Ogundare, in his ruling, confirmed the agreement between the prosecution and defense under the EFCC Establishment Act and struck out the charges against Okechukwu, cautioning him in the process.
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