The trial of the self-styled relationship expert, Nkeiruka Okoro, a.k.a. Blessing CEO, over an alleged N36 million fraud, commenced on Friday at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned the defendant in May before Justice Isaac Dipeolu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining N36 million by false pretence and stealing.
She had however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the last adjourned date, defence counsel, Mr N.I. Nwafor, informed the court that the defendant had refunded part of the money to the complainant as part of a settlement.
However, the prosecutor, Mr Suleiman Suleiman, argued that the Federal Government was the complainant in the case, adding that the prosecution was not privy to any settlement arrangement.
The court subsequently adjourned the case for trial until June 5.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, the prosecutor called the first prosecution witness, Mrs Bufa Okangbe, an investigator with the anti-graft agency, and sought to tender some documents through her.
The documents included; a statement of the defendant, copy of a lease agreement, as well as bank documents from Access and Guaranty Trust banks respectively, among others.
Citing provisions such as sections 84, 89 and 90 of the Evidence Act, defence counsel raised objections to tendering of the lease agreement, which he argued, was a photocopy.
He also objected to tendering of the defendant’s statement on the grounds that it was not endorsed in the presence of a legal practitioner.
Defence counsel also objected to tendering of the bank documents, saying it was not a certified copy.
In response, the prosecution also cited relevant provisions of the Evidence Act, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, as well as judicial authorities, arguing that, admissibility of a document was governed by relevance.
In a short ruling, the court over ruled the objection by the defence counsel, and admitted and marked the documents as exhibits respectively.
Leading the witness in evidence, the witness told the court that in her statement, the defendant admitted receiving payments from the nominal complainant, one Ifeyinwa Okoye.
The witness told the court that in her statement, the defendant admitted receiving payments from the nominal complainant, one Ifeyinwa Okoye.
She told the court that in July 2024, the defendant received payments in the sum of N25 million in her Guaranty Trust Bank account and later, an additional N11 million in her Access bank account, in furtherance of a lease.
On the disbursement of the said funds, the witness told the court that on receipt of the money, the defendant made a transfer of N8 million to one Thomas Osogun and Jumoke Osogun, in July 2024.
She told the court that the defendant also made a payment of N9 million, N900,000 and N2 million respectively, to her mother ,Mrs Lina Okoro and also transferred the sum of N10 million to one Kenneth Onuora.
According to her, the defendant also made payment of N1.9 million to one De Beauty City by Lekki.
The witness told the court that findings by the EFCC showed that the complainant paid the defendant the sum of N36 million in tranches of N25 million to her Guaranty Trust bank and N11 million to her Access bank, for a lease property in Lekki.
