EFCC Opens Case Against Senator Nwaoboshi Over N805m Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday open its case against the Senator representing Delta North in the National Assembly, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, accused of N805 million fraud before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The commission, which arraigned the Senator on two-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering, called two witnesses in support of its case.
Nwaoboshi, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain was docked before the court by the anti-graft agency alongside two companies: Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd.
According to the charge with No: FHC/L/117C/2018, the commission claimed that the politician committed the offences between May and June 2014 in Lagos.
The EFCC also accused the Senator of acquiring a property described as Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa Lagos, for the sum of N805 million when he reasonably ought to have known that N322 million out of the purchase sum formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.
The EFCC maintained that the sum was transferred to the vendors by order of Suiming Electrical Ltd.
The anti-graft agency further alleged in the charge that Suiming Electrical on May 14, 2014, aided Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch to commit money laundering.
The offences are contrary to Sections 15(2), (d), 15 (3) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.
Senator Nwaoboshi, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and he was granted bail by the court on self- recognition.
In his testimony, Prince Kpokpogiri, the first prosecution witness, while been led in evident by the EFCC counsel, Wemimo Ogunde (SAN) stated that he wrote a petition to the EFCC after he received an anonymous call and some documents at his office in Asaba, Delta State.
Kpokpogiri also said that he was subsequently invited by the EFCC to Abuja to come and adopt the petition.
The witness testified that he runs a nongovernmental organisation, Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, as well as a real estate firm, P.K Aro Multiservices Nigeria Limited.
During cross examination, the witness said his petition did not contain a list of the firm’s Board of Directors because it was not mandatory.
He also said it was not his duty to investigate the contents of his petition before forwarding to the EFCC.
“I only investigated by going through the documents. I did not contact the defendants because it is the work of the EFCC.”
Anthony Idigbe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, accused the witness of being an agent of the EFCC.
“I also put it to you that apart from the fact that you did not investigate the documents, you did not also take any step to verify the facts stated in the petition,” Mr Idigbe said.
The second prosecution witness, Murtala Abubakar, claimed that Suiming Electricals Limited, the third defendant, applied for a loan at the Nigerian Export Import Bank in December 2013, and it was approved in April 2014.
The witness, who is the head of Enterprise Risk Management unit at the bank, said Nwaoboshi was a former board member of the bank.
Abubakar maintained that while the meeting to take a decision on the loan request was being held, Mr Nwaoboshi indicated his interest in the transaction and was recused from the deliberation.
He also stated that the senator is a director at Bildeberg, a holding company which has the majority shareholding in Suiming Electricals Nigeria Limited.
The witness further testified that the EFCC made five requests to the bank on Suiming Electricals, starting from June 2017, in respect of the loan transaction granted to the company.
He further stated that the company met all the bank’s conditions before the loan was disbursed.
Abubakar stated that although the third defendant had repaid over ₦1 billion of the loan, it is still a non-performing one.
“The loan facility is for five years,” Abubakar said.
“There is a difference between paying and performing. When we give a loan, we give you a payment plan. When you are supposed to be paying ₦1 million quarterly but you are paying ₦200,000, you are paying but you are not performing.”
Ogunde requested for an adjournment to enable him assemble the remaining four witnesses.
The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris had adjourned the case till July 2nd and 3rd for continuation of trial.
