The executive of the Non-Academic Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society, College of Education, Warri, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Warri over a fraud of N32m. They are the president of the cooperative society, Afure Joe; treasurer, Monica Ossai; financial secretary, Okeleza Isaac, and one Akpiten Onyisi.
They were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on 16 counts bordering on the conversion of the cooperative funds to personal use, money laundering, among others.
One of the charges read in part, “That you, Afure Anomioghene Joe, being the president of the College of Education Warri Non-Academic Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society; Monica Ossai, being treasurer; Okeleza Isaac, being financial secretary; on or about 1st June 2012, in Warri, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did transfer the sum of N32m only from the Union Bank account of the College of Education Warri Non-Academic Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Warri, into an account domiciled at First Bank Plc operated by Mukoro Samuel, which such fund you knew forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: fraud, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2012) and punishable under Section 15(3)of the same Act.”
They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and remand them in custody. Justice Nwite adjourned the case till April 28, 2021, for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Custodial Centre, Sapele, Delta State.
PUNCH