Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, a manager with the Cubana Group, was charged by the Economics and Financial Crime Commission on Wednesday with a crime that may have been considered money laundering and conspiracy to launder.
Ndukwe, also known as Cubana Prime Minister, was charged alongside Precious Omonkhoa Ofure by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Command before Justice Justice O.A. Fadipe of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos State.
EFCC agents recently detained the individuals after receiving reliable information about their involvement in the fraudulent operation.
The amount of $164, 000. 00 (One Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand Dollars), as well as laptop and iPhone mobile devices, were retrieved from them.
The charge reads:
“That you, Precious Omonkhoa Ofure and Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, sometime in 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves and laundered an aggregate sum of $164,000 which form part of $256,314 fraudulently obtained by false pretense from one Elena Bogomaz, a Canadian Citizen, and converted the fraudulent money into the United States Dollars with the help of a Bureau De Change Operator, which was then credited into the bank account of Casa Cubana Estate Limited and Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe respectively for the purchase of two landed properties and committed an offence contrary to Section 330 of lhe Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
Ndukwe “pleaded not guilty,” while Ofure “pleaded guilty” to the accusation, during their arraignment on Wednesday.
As a result, the prosecution’s attorney, M.K. Bashir, went over the case’s facts and pleaded for Ofure, the defendant, to receive an appropriate sentence.
Justice Fadipe found Ofure guilty of two charges of conspiracy and money laundering and sentenced him to three years in jail, with the possibility of an additional fine of N2,000,000.00 and 100 hours of community service.
All of the items seized from the offender were also ordered to be forfeited by the judge.
Chuks Arubalaeze, Udukwe’s attorney, informed the court of his client’s request for bail.
He was granted bail in the amount of N5,000,000.00 with two sureties in the same amount by Justice Fadipe.
In addition, Justice Fadipe mandated that Udukwe remain in custody until the completion of his bail requirements and postponed the case’s start date for trial to October 28, 2022.
