By Our Reporter
In a dramatic twist to the legal battle involving popular gospel music executive, Ezekiel Onyedikachi, better known as EeZeeTee, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dropped its initial allegations of fraudulent conversion of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo’s earnings and instead arraigned him for non-disclosure of his company’s financial transactions.
The EFCC had earlier accused the Chief Executive Officer of EeZee Global Concept Ltd of misappropriating proceeds belonging to Chinwo.
However, in a surprise move, the anti-graft agency, on Wednesday, filed an amended eight-count charge at a Federal High Court in Lagos, focusing instead on regulatory breaches concerning foreign exchange transactions and failure to report company earnings.
According to the new charges, EeZeeTee is alleged to have conducted unauthorized foreign exchange deals and failed to submit necessary disclosures to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) between 2022 and 2023.
During this period, the company reportedly received a total of $255,436 in its corporate account.
One of the charges reads:
“That you, Ezekiel Onyedikachi and EeZee Global Concept Ltd, sometime in June 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, not being an authorized buyer of foreign currency appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria under Section 5(1) of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, CAP F34 LFN 2004, negotiated a foreign exchange transaction to wit: the naira equivalent of the sum of $52,895 with Mr. Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke.”
The commission also accused EeZeeTee and his company of engaging in another forex transaction amounting to $18,775 with one Gift Ugochi Christopher, without using the official foreign exchange market.
Upon arraignment, EeZeeTee pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Lead defence counsel, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the EFCC.
He urged the court to grant bail in liberal terms, revealing that parties were in active discussions to resolve the matter amicably out of court.
However, EFCC prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, opposed the bail plea and requested that the defendant be remanded in custody pending determination of the application.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, presiding over the matter, sought clarification on how the defendant appeared in court. In response, the EFCC’s counsel claimed an arrest warrant had been issued.
But Ojukwu countered, stating that his client had been granted administrative bail by the EFCC and had willingly appeared in court.
He further argued that the EFCC had not provided any evidence of a formal invitation that his client ignored.
Following arguments from both sides, Justice Aneke adjourned ruling on the bail application to May 9, 2025.
In the interim, he ordered that EeZeeTee be released to his counsel.
Tension heightened shortly after the court session when EFCC operatives made an attempt to rearrest the defendant at the court’s entrance gate.
The situation, however, was brought under control following the intervention of a senior EFCC official, allowing EeZeeTee to depart peacefully.
©Vanguard.