ALLEGED N450M MONEY LAUNDERING: EFCC arraigns ex-minister, 2 others in court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned before a Jos Federal High Court, a former Water Resources Minister, Sarah Ochekpe, and two others for allegedly laundering N450 million.

Arraigned along the former minister were a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Plateau, Mr. Raymond Dabo, and the state coordinator of the President Goodluck Jonathan campaign in 2015, Evangelist Leo-Sunday Jatau.

They were charged with two counts of conspiracy and money laundering before Justice Musa Kurya. However, when the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. A. Y. Manchata, told the trial judge during the Monday proceedings that sometimes in 2015, the sum of N450 million was transferred from the account of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Alison Diezeni-Madueke to the account of one of the defendants, who according to the lawyer allegedly withdrew and laundered it.

The allegation was fiercely challenged by the defence Counsel, Mr. Sunday Odey, who subsequently applied for the bail of the defendants, describing them as people of “high integrity.”

Odey said, “My Lord, since my clients have pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge, I hereby apply for their bail on self recognition.”

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His application was objected to by the EFCC lawyer, who maintained that based on the weight of the offence allegedly committed by the defendants that they should be remanded in Prison.

Countering the position of the EFCC’s lawyer, counsel to the defendants told the trial judge that he was going to stand as surety and would produce the defendants at the next adjourned date for the matter.

The trial judge, Justice Kurya, after listening to the arguments of the two leaned colleagues, granted the defendants bail on self recognition and then adjourned the case to February 13 and 14 for hearing.

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