The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, a manager with Cubana Group.
Ndukwe, aka Cubana Prime Minister, was arraigned on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 alongside one Precious Omonkhoa Ofure before Justice Justice O.A. Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, for an offence bordering on conspiracy to launder and money laundering.
The commission said the suspects were arrested recently following credible intelligence received about their involvement in the fraudulent activity.
Items recovered from them include the sum of $164, 000, iPhone mobile devices and laptop computers.
The charge against them 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 fr@udulently obtained by false pretence from one Elena Bogomaz, a Canadian Citizen, and converted the fr@udulent money into the United States Dollars with the help of a Bureau De ChangeOperator, 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.”
During their arraignment, Ndukwe “pleaded not guilty”, while Ofure pleaded “guilty” to the charge. Consequently, Justice Fadipe found Ofure guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on two counts of conspiracy and money laundering, with an option of fine in the sum of N2million and 100 hours of community service. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of all the items recovered from the convict.
