EFCC re-arrests convicted Italian for contempt of court in Lagos

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have re-arrested a convicted Italian, Floriana De-Stefani, for failing to obey a court order upon her conviction by the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State.

The presiding judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, had, on October 7, 2022, found De-Stefani guilty of using false documents and counterfeit seals to confer on herself ownership of a property belonging to a company, Waterside Properties Limited, an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

Delivering judgement, Justice Dada sentenced the Italian to three years in prison and also ordered the release of the property on 14 A&B Warring Road (formerly Bayo Kuku Road), Ikoyi, Lagos to Waterside Properties Limited within three weeks.

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According to a statement issued by the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Friday, De-Stefani was re-arrested on December 19, 2023, for refusing to vacate the property ordered for release to the company by the court.

Following her arrest on Tuesday, she was also issued a notice by the EFCC to vacate the property within seven days or risk legal action.

De-Stefani, alongside Stella Ndubusi Ogboju, was first arraigned on March 30, 2019, on five-count charges bordering on forgery and stealing of a property belonging to a company, Waterside Properties Limited. The charges were later amended by the prosecution counsel, Ahmed Yerima, to six-count charges.

One of the amended charges read: “That you, Floriana De-Stefani, sometime in 2015, within the Ikeja Judicial Division of this Honourable court, dishonestly converted for your own use a property known and situated at No.14A/B Warring Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, a property of Waterside Properties Limited.”

The Star