Press Release
The trial of Imaobong Akon
Esu-Nte, an accountant with the Nigeria Prisons Service and two others:
Olukolade Olabamiji, a businessman and Mohammed Abdulkadir, a banker commenced
on Thursday, March 16, 2015 with the first prosecution witness, Sini Omar
telling the court how the Prison Accountant conspired with the other accused
persons to launder funds from the Nigeria Prisons Service into the accounts of
companies where she has interests.
Omar, an Assistant Superintendent of
Police with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, while being led
in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Aso Larry Peters, told the court that
Esu-Nte used her position as prison accountant, and connived with the other
accused persons to launder money from the accounts of the Nigeria Prisons
Service into Royal Mall Nigeria Limited, Transferase Ventures and I.D
Integrated Petroleum in the guise of executing non existent contracts.
Omar further told the court that the
first accused, Esu-Nte, was specifically questioned on how N110m and N90m
was lodged into the accounts of Royal Mall Nigeria Limited (second accused) and
Transferase Ventures (third accused) in January and February 2014 respectively.
When asked about the relationship
between the first and the fifth accused (Esu-Nte and Mohammed Abdulkadir), Omar
said both conspired to open a corporate account for the first accused in
Heritage Bank in the name of I.D Integrated Petroleum Products Limited (fourth
accused) with forged documents.
According to him, the mandate card has
the name of Esu-Nte’s 9-year-old daughter with a photograph of an adult male,
while the second mandate has a feminine name but a photograph of an adult male.
The witness told the court that the
Nigeria Prisons Service never had any contract with the second and third
accused.
Documents in support of these claims
were tendered by the prosecution but their admissibility was challenged by the
defence counsel, Titus O. Ashaolu, SAN. He asked the court for a trial within
trial to determine whether the documents were voluntarily released to the
prosecution.
Justice Chukwu adjourned the case to
May 20 and 21, 2015.
However, the judge who had on Wednesday
April 15, released the accused persons to their counsel upon arraignment
pending hearing of the motion for bail, today admitted them to bail in the sum
of N100m each and one surety in like sum. The sureties who must not be below
the rank of Director or Deputy Director in a Federal establishment must have
landed properties within the Federal Capital Territory with proof of ownership.
The sureties are to deposit their international passports with the court.
The accused persons had pleaded not
guilty to an 11-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, abuse of office and money
laundering brought against them by the EFCC.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
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