THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced plans to appeal a ruling by Justice Isa Dashen of the Federal High Court in Bayelsa State involving the Commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Justice Dashen warned that Olukoyede could face imprisonment for allegedly failing to comply with a court ruling in a case brought by Bliss Multinational Perfection and Oyinmiebi Bribena, CEO of Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited.
The judge ruled that the EFCC’s seizure and sealing of Bribena’s and the company’s assets were unlawful, as the properties were not considered proceeds of crime.
However, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, in a statement yesterday, said the Commission had not been informed of the judgement date.
Oyewale, who serves as the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, expressed surprise over the court’s order.
“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to media reports suggesting that Ola Olukoyede, the Commission’s Executive Chairman, faces imprisonment for allegedly violating Justice Isa H. A. Dashen’s orders from the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,” he stated.
Oyewale explained that the lack of prior notice regarding the judgement amounted to a denial of fair hearing.
He further clarified that a prior ruling in a similar case involving the same defendants had already been appealed, stating, “The order prevents the EFCC from seizing properties belonging to Bliss Multinational Perfections Limited and Bribena, which are suspected to be proceeds of an investment fraud, commonly known as a Ponzi scheme.
“It is important to highlight that the judgement delivered on September 4, 2024, by Justice Dashen, caught the Commission off guard, as it was not notified of the ruling date.
“The Commission is, therefore, preparing to appeal the judgement within the permissible timeframe.
“A previous ruling by the court in a related case with the same defendants is currently under appeal at the appellate court in Port Harcourt.
“The Commission remains committed to upholding the rule of law and will not intentionally disobey any court orders.”
Oyewale also noted that the defendants had been investigated and indicted for an investment fraud involving N2 billion, which impacted over 123 victims.
