Temporary relieve came the way of an actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, who was arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged spraying of new Naira note in a party, as she was admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum.
The EFCC had on February 13, arraigned the actress before the court presided over by Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke, on a count charge of tampering with the sum of N100, 000.00 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by dancing on same at the said occasion.
The actress offence by the prosecutor, S. I. Sulaiman, was contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
The actress had denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following her not guilty plea, counsel to the actress, Adenike Goncalves, prayed the court to grant her client bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Adenike Goncalves also urged the court to remand her client in the EFCC’s custody, pending the perfection of the bail terms, if so granted by the court.
The prosecutor in his response had submitted that bail is at the discretion of the court, he prayed that in the event bail is granted, the conditions of the bail term should be such that would enable the defendant to be present during the trial.
Justice Aneke, after hearing the counsel, fixed Wednesday for the ruling on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kirikiri Correctional facility.
At the resumed hearing of the matter, Justice Aneke in his ruling on the bail application, admitted the actress to bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum.
Justice Aneke ruled that the surety in case of civil servant, should be a Grade Level 12 and above, with evidence of three years tax payment, among others.
The judge while ordered that the actress be further remanded in Kirikiri prison, pending the perfection of the bail terms, adjourned the matter till April 3, for trial.
The charge against the actress reads: “That you Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin on January 28, 2023 at Monarch event centre, Lekki, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social occasion tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
It would be recalled that the actress (Oluwadarasimi) was arrested by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Fraud Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on February 1, 2023 along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and was handed over to the EFCC for investigation.
The 31-year-old was arrested after the video of her spraying and stepping on the newly redesigned Naira notes at a party surfaced online.
In the viral video, she was also seen flaunting wads of the new Naira notes.
