EFCC 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
16th
April, 2015
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