The Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the duo of Kingsley Peters and Otonye Okoye before Justice A.T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
They were arraigned on Monday, August 2, 2021 on four count charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences to the tune of $20,000( Twenty Thousand United States Dollars).
One of the charges reads: “That you Kingsley Peters and Otonye Okoye sometimes in 2020 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
They pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, K.W. Chukwuma Eneh prayed the court to remand the defendants in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre pending the commencement of trial. However, defense counsel, Floriett Godman urged the court to grant the defendants bail.
Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter to August 5 2021, and ordered the remand of the defendants in the EFCC custody pending the determination of their bail applications.
The defendants’ trouble began on June 29, 2021, when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC at No. 2 Eleworks Close, off First Avenue by Las Vegas Bus Stop, Port Harcourt for alleged Internet- related offences