By Damilare Adeleye

A popular businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has pleaded not guilty to tampering and abusing the naira during his trial at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

On Wednesday, Cubana Chief Priest was arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos on three counts bordering on abuse of naira by allegedly spraying and tampering with the nation’s currency at a social event, contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

He was alleged to have sprayed the naira on February 13, 2024, at Eko Hotel.

Cubana Chief Priest was said to have also committed the offences while dancing during a social event.

He was said to have tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 notes issued by the CBN by spraying the same for two hours.

EFCC filed a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest who would be arraigned today (Wednesday) before Justice Kehinde Ogundare.

In Count 1, it was alleged, “that you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th Feb. 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

In count 2, it was alleged, “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

In Count 3, it was alleged, “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

This is coming days after the EFCC arraigned controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye better known as Bobrisky on similar charges for which he was sentenced to a six-month jail term.