21st April, 2011
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, South West Nigeria, has further adjourned till after the Easter vacation, the criminal case of money laundering filed against a former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and five of his former aides.
For two consecutive times, the presiding judge, Justice Charles Achibong, did not sit consequent upon which the case had to be adjourned.
Sometimes in 2007, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and five of his aides, former Commissioner for Finance, Peter Mba; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sam Ejiofor one Victor Udeh, Sunday Onyekazunu Anyaogu, Sylvia Onwubuemedi and six other companies, were arraigned before Justice Tijani Abubakar.
However, when trial was about to commence, there was mass transfer of judges, which affected Justice Tijani and consequently, the case was reassigned to Justice Achibong.
The six companies facing criminal prosecution are Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmos F.M., Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.
In the 12-count criminal charge dated 3 December, 2007 filed before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it was alleged that all the accused persons including one Chinero Nnuigwe now at large, between August 2003 and May 2007, conspired to launder funds belonging to Enugu State Government, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 17 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004.
The former governor and his co-accused were further alleged to have collaborated to conceal the genuine origin of N2.5 billion which was illegally taken from the statutory allocation to the local governments in Enugu State and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2003.
The former Commissioner for Finance, Peter Mba and one Victor Udeh, were alleged to have collaborated to conceal the genuine origin of about N20.5 million which they knew represented the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said crime and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004.
In count 23 to 30, the two accused were individually charged with the offence of conversion and transfer of money running into millions of naira.
In other counts, the former governor was alleged to have used the six companies charged along with him to launder money as the sole signatory to the accounts of the companies.
The court has adjourned till next month when the trial of the former governor and his co-accused will commence.
