A former Nigerian minister of aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, was charged with 25 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Oduah, who held the position of Aviation Minister from 2011 to 2014, is being tried on suspicion of conspiring with eight other people to launder about N7.9 billion in public funds.
In the case identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/316/20, additional defendants include Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd, and Sobora International Ltd.
However, when the charge was read to the defendants in open court by Justice Inyang Ekwo, who docked them prior to trial, they entered a plea of not guilty.
Among other things, the anti-graft agency claimed that in February 2014, Oduah, who also served as the senator for Anambra North, and Odita, who was listed as her assistant and the company secretary for Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd (SPGC), had taken advantage of their positions to transfer N1,629,250,000.00 from I-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account number 2021756955 with First Bank Plc to Global Offshore and Marine Ltd account number 20229772
The defendants were charged with breaking the law by opening the anonymous Private Banking Nominee Account No. 2024414450 with First Bank Plc, which was punishable under Section 11(4)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended).
They were equally accused of opening a United States dollar “anonymous Private Banking Nominee account No. 2024414498 with First Bank Plc and thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 1 1(4) (a) of the same Act.”
Trial Judge Ekwo permitted the defendants to leave on the administrative bail the EFCC had earlier granted them after they pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Additionally, the court ordered the EFCC to transfer the case file to the Attorney-General’s office of the Federation in order to guarantee the defendants’ thorough prosecution.
The case was postponed until October 17 for the trial by Justice Ekwo.
The EFCC was unable to arraign the defendants despite the fact that the charge was brought against them in 2020 because of a petition they sent to the outgoing Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN.
Malami had pleaded with the court to halt the trial so he could examine the case file.
However, he later gave the EFCC permission to proceed with the defendants’ trials.
