EFCC To Re-arraign Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, Obla On New Charges Thursday
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday filed a fresh charge of money laundering against a former Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a former prosecutor of the Commission, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN).
They are to be arraigned before Justice Mohammed Aikawa of the Federal High Court on Thursday.
The anti-graft agency in the new 12-count charge accused the embattled former judge and the senior lawyer of unlawful enrichment, illegal concealment, corruption, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.
The Commission alleged that the two defendants allegedly conspired to indirectly conceal the sum of N18 million in the Diamond Bank account of Nigel Et Colive Ltd, which sum they reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful act to wit: unlawful enrichment.
According to the EFCC, the offence is contrary to sections 18 (a), 15 (2) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was also accused of making false statement when she allegedly stated as follows: “On the 11‘“ July, 2014 the same family that purchased my land made a further payment of N 4,000,000. That same 11‘” July,2014, a further payment of N3,000,000 was paid in as further payment on Account of the total price of N33,000,000.
“Also on the same day the same person paid in N5, 000,000.00 which was final payment of the purchase price for the sold land in Rita Ajumogobia Street Asaba” to Lawal Abdullahi, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in the course of the exercise of his duty and your thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 39(2) (a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.
It would be recalled that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was rearrested on Tuesday few minutes after a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja struck out the corruption charges earlier filed against her by the Commission.
The trial judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi while ruling on a preliminary objection filed by the embattled former judge, struck out the 31-count charge on the grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit.
Justice Oshodi, who anchored his conclusion on the judicial precedent set by the Court of Appeal in the case of Justice Nganjiwa Vs FRN, held that the anti-graft agency had “jumped the gun” in filing the first amended charge.
The judge also held that the commission had not followed the procedures set by the National Judicial Council (NJC) in disciplining erring judicial officers.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had on October, 3, 2018 recommended the dismissal of Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia to President Muhammadu Buhari who is yet to effect the recommendation.
