Ifeanyi IbeThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday arraigned former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, before a Federal High Court in Abuja on 25 counts of money laundering.
Senator Oduah, Gloria Odita, Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi and Irene Chukwuma were docked, including five companies – Global Offshore And Marine Limited, Tiptop Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited, and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. EFCC Denies Asking Lawyer To File Charges Against Oduah
Oduah, who served as Aviation Minister from 2011 to 2014, is being prosecuted over allegations of laundering public funds to the tune of about ₦7.9 billion, in connivance with eight others.
The other defendants in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/20, are; Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd and Sobora International Ltd.
The EFCC had filed the charge against Oduah and others on December 17, 2020, but attempts to arraign them came under several challenges.
According to a statement by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the agency, among other things, alleged that Oduah and Odita, her aide and the Company Secretary to Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd in February 2014, used their positions to transfer the sum of ₦1,629,250,000.00 from I-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account number.
The statement said, “A transfer of 2021756955 from First Bank Plc to Global Offshore and Marine Ltd account number: 2022977296 was also domiciled with First Bank Plc, which money they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.”
They were also accused of opening a naira “anonymous Private Banking Nominee Account No. 2024414450 with First Bank Plc and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 11(4) (a) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
“At today’s session, Justice I.E Ekwo requested the report of an investigation he had ordered the EFCC to carry out with respect to an anonymous threat message he received via SMS in relation to the case. Hassan Liman, SAN, lead prosecutor of the EFCC told the court that the Commission was doing its best to apprehend the anonymous messenger.
“However, the Commission’s inability to produce the report, Justice Ekwo said, has compelled him to order the Commission to, within two weeks, hand over the file on its investigation of Stella Adaeze Oduah and eight others to the Attorney General of the Federation to continue with the prosecution,” the statement said.
It also said that the presiding judge, Justice I.E Ekwo, granted bail to the defendants and adjourned till October 17, 2023, for the commencement of trial.
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