A Federal High Court in Lagos State has postponed the hearing of a case involving celebrity bartender Pascal Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest, who faces allegations of naira abuse.
News About Nigeria reports that the case will now be mentioned on June 25.
Cubana Chief Priest stands accused of three counts of naira abuse, specifically for allegedly spraying and tampering with the currency at a social event.
After pleading not guilty, he was granted bail set at N10 million with two sureties of the same amount.
Justice Kehinde Ogundare presides over the case, which stems from an incident on February 13, 2024, at the Eko Hotel, where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claims Cubana Chief Priest sprayed N500 notes for two hours during a celebration, violating the Central Bank Act of 2007.
On May 2, defence counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN) informed the court that both parties were exploring a settlement under Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act.
The defence subsequently withdrew a preliminary objection, a motion the court accepted without the prosecution’s opposition, leading to an initial adjournment to June 5 for a settlement report.
However, on Wednesday, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the defence submitted a letter requesting another adjournment.
Consequently, the court has rescheduled the case for mention on June 25.
Recall that Bobrisky was sentenced to six months in jail for his actions in April.
The judge who sentenced her, Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos, said it was important to show others that messing with the naira is wrong.
Bobrisky admitted to misusing the naira but asked for mercy. He said he didn’t know it was against the law.
However, the judge reminded him that not knowing the law doesn’t excuse breaking it.
