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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Money Laundering: Nyako, Ohakim Docked, Denied Bail (447 Views)
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Money Laundering: Nyako, Ohakim Docked, Denied Bail by IBBG(m): 1:51pm On Jul 09, 2015 |
ABUJA — Former Governors of Adamawa and Imo States,
Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) and Ikedi Ohakim were
separately docked before the Abuja Division of the
Federal High Court, yesterday, over allegations
bordering on money laundering, abuse of office and
misappropriation of public funds.
Whereas Nyako was accused of diverting over N40 billion
from the Adamawa State treasury between January 2011
and December 2014, Ohakim, on the other hand, was
alleged to have amassed about $2 million from the public
coffers and used same to acquire a mansion at the
Asokoro District of Abuja.
Nyako was arraigned alongside his son, Abdulaziz and
two others, Zulkifikk Abba and Abubakar Aliyu. They are
answering to a 37-count criminal charge dated July 7.
Five companies that allegedly
served as conduit pipes for
the illegal diversion of the
funds —Blue Opal Limited,
Sebore Farms & Extension
Limited, Pagoda Fortunes
Limited, Tower Assets
Management Limited and
Crust Energy Limited— were
equally charged as the 5th to
9th accused persons.
In the charge which was
preferred against them by the
Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, the accused persons were
alleged to have in their bid to conceal the illicit origin of
the funds, embarked on the development of estates in
Abuja.
Besides, EFCC said it was able to trace various cash
lodgements that Nyako and his son made into various
bank accounts they operated in the name of the
companies that were indicted in the fraud.
The anti-graft agency maintained that huge sums of
money which the accused persons purported to be
security funds, were illegally placed under the control of
one Ma’aji Iro, the then Regional Manager of Zenith Bank
Plc, North-East, Nigeria.
They were said to have sequentially withdrawn the funds
through the bank manager and channelled same for
private use, contrary to section 15 (2) (a) & (6) of the
Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012
and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Meantime, all the accused persons, including Ohakim,
yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the charges against
them.
Shortly after Nyako and his co-accused persons entered
their plea to the 37-count charge yesterday, the
prosecuting counsel, Mr. Aliyu Yusuf urged Justice Evoh
Chukwu to okay the matter to proceed to trial
immediately.
Yusuf produced his first witness who mounted the dock
with a view to begining his Evidence-in-Chief.
Bail application
At that juncture, the defence lawyer Chief Kanu Agabi,
SAN, prayed the court to grant him time to properly
study the charge which he said was only served on them
on Tuesday, to enable him to be able to put up a
formidable defence for his clients.
“My Lord, it is in the interest of justice that we
familiarise with it to be able to put up our defence. I
commend the diligence of the prosecution, but I was
going to avert your lordship to the issue of bail of the
accused persons”, Agabi submitted.
He begged the court to use its discretion and release the
former governor and the other accused persons on bail
since they were previously granted administrative bail by
the EFCC.
“My Lord, it is at the expense of the state that the
accused persons are kept. Our Prisons are congested, I
plead, I beg, I urge for their release on bail”, he added.
In opposition, the EFCC, while
placing reliance on section 299
of the newly enacted Criminal
Justice Administration Act,
applied that the accused
persons be remanded in prison
custody.
The EFCC lawyer stressed that
he was only served with their
bail application yesterday
afternoon, saying he would need
time to go through it.
Yusuf told the court the EFCC
has no facility to keep the accused persons.
Sensing danger, Nyako’s lawyer quickly pleaded that
instead of prison, his clients should rather remain in the
custody of the EFCC.
Accused to remain in EFCC custody
In a short ruling, Justice Chukwu ordered the remand of
all the accused persons in EFCC custody till Friday when
their bail application will be heard.
Similarly, Justice Ademola Adeniyi directed that former
governor Ohakim who is answering to a three-count
criminal charge should remain with the EFCC till today
when his bail application will be heard.
EFCC had through its lawyer Mr. Festus Keyamo,
objected to an oral bail application that was made
yesterday by Ohakim’s lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
Justice Ademola who in his ruling ordered Ohakim to file
a formal bail application, also directed the EFCC to grant
him access to his wife, lawyer and medication.
At the end of the proceedings yesterday, all the accused
persons were conveyed back to the EFCC detention
facility in a white coaster bus with an Abuja registration
number, BR 739 BWR
www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/money-laundering-nyako-ohakim-docked-denied-bail/ |
Re: Money Laundering: Nyako, Ohakim Docked, Denied Bail by hawk05(m): 1:52pm On Jul 09, 2015 |
Nigeria oni baje |
Re: Money Laundering: Nyako, Ohakim Docked, Denied Bail by Precious91(m): 1:56pm On Jul 09, 2015 |
Nice one |
(1) (Reply)
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