The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Orbby Vanessa Agwuncha, a compliance officer at Bill Interserve Global, for failing to designate an anti-money laundering compliance officer.
The arraignment took place on Wednesday before Obiora Egwuatu, trial judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Orbby Vanessa Agwuncha pleaded not guilty to two counts.
According to the EFCC, the offences occurred between September 26 and October 30, 2023.
In one count, she was accused of failing to develop programmes to combat money laundering and other illegal acts by not appointing a compliance officer at the management level, as required for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) under Section 10(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The second count alleged that she failed “to establish an Internal Audit unit to ensure compliance and effectiveness of measures taken to enforce the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” violating Section 16(2)(b) of the Act. Breaches of these provisions are punishable under Section 19(2)(b), which prescribes fines of up to N10 million or imprisonment of at least three years for individuals, and N25 million for corporate bodies.
After her plea, EFCC’s counsel, J.N. Dogonyaro, requested the court to schedule the commencement of trial, while Agwuncha’s lawyer applied for bail.
The judge granted bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties of like sum.
The conditions include: Sureties must be at least Grade Level 16 in a government establishment with verifiable landed property in Abuja and a Certificate of Occupancy.
Sureties must deposit their travel documents with the court and are prohibited from travelling outside the country without court approval.
Orbby Agwunchawas remanded at Kuje Correctional Facility, Abuja, pending fulfillment of her bail conditions.
