Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dropped its earlier fraud allegations against gospel music executive Ezekiel Onyedikachi, popularly known as EeZee Tee and instead arraigned him on new charges related to non-disclosure of his company’s financial transactions.
EeZeeTee, who is the CEO of EeZee Global Concept Ltd and former manager of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, was previously accused of misappropriating the singer’s earnings.
However, the EFCC on Wednesday filed an amended eight-count charge before a Federal High Court in Lagos, now focusing on alleged breaches of foreign exchange regulations and failure to report financial activities between 2022 and 2023.
According to the new filing, EeZee Tee is accused of conducting unauthorised forex transactions and neglecting to submit required financial disclosures to the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).
The commission alleged that during the stated period, his company received a total of $255,436 into 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 EFCC further alleged that EeZee Tee engaged in another forex transaction worth $18,775 with one Gift Ugochi Christopher, also outside the official forex market.
EeZee Tee pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His lead counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and duly served on the EFCC.
