Celebrity crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, on Monday, April 22, filed an appeal notice challenging the six months maximum sentence given to him by a Federal High Court, Lagos.
Okuneye was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts of naira abuse.
He pleaded guilty before Justice A.O. Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Justice Awogboro sentenced the crossdresser to six months imprisonment without an option of a fine.
The judge expected the sentencing to serve as a deterrent to others fond of abusing and mutilating the naira.
However, counsel to Okuneye, Bimbo Kusanu, has now filed a notice of appeal, praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the maximum sentence.
Kusanu is asking the court to replace the sentence with an option of a N50,000 fine on each of the counts.
The counsel stated in the notice of appeal that the trial court imposed the maximum sentence on the appellant, who had no previous criminal record of conviction.
He stated that there were options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
He averred that the sentence imposed by the trial court against the appellant was punitive and contrary to the mandatory provisions of the ACJA.
The appellant stated that the trial court did not consider the positive antecedent of the appellant, who, by pleading guilty to the charge, did not waste the time of the court
He stated that the appellant honored the invitation of the respondent on the first invitation.
He said that the trial court failed to exercise its discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the appellant.
He then stated that such an act had occasioned a miscarriage of justice against the appellant.
