Nigerian Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, senator representing Delta North senatorial district at the National Assembly, has been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, Friday also ordered that Senator Nwaoboshi who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs forfeits his two companies, Suiming Electrical Ltd and Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd. The companies will be shut down in line with the provisions of Section 22 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2021.
The court’s ruling followed the success of the appeal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which had challenged the judgement of Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which on June 18, 2021, discharged and acquitted the defendants of a two count charge of fraud and money laundering.
In reaction, Nwaoboshi (APC, Delta North) vowed to challenge the Court of Appeal judgement at the Supreme Court.
Nwaoboshi said they are confident that the Supreme Court will subject the judgement to critical review accordingly.
The Statement read, ” the attention of SPON Media has been drawn to the news making rounds about the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Lagos over a matter which EFCC filed against Chief, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, the Senator representing Delta North at the Senate.
“It is not unusual to have judgements that astound the parties, depending on where the pendulum swings.
“The judgement, the news of which is in the media arose from an appeal by EFCC against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which discharged and acquitted Distinguished Senator & Co-Defendants at the trial level.
“Steps are being taken to challenge the Court of Appeal judgment immediately and we are confident that the Supreme Court will subject the judgment to critical review accordingly.”
EFCC had arraigned the three defendants over the acquisition of a property named Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa, Lagos, for N805 Million.
It argued that part of the money paid to the vendor, precisely a sum of N322 million transferred by Suiming Electrical Ltd on behalf of Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd , was alleged to be part of proceeds of fraud.
The lower court in it’s judgement, held that the prosecution failed to call vital witnesses and tender concrete evidence to prove the elements of the offences for which it charged the defendants.
However, dissatisfied by the judgement, the EFCC appealed to the Court of Appeal, contending that the trial judge erred in law in dismissing the charges against the respondents.
Meanwhile, in its judgement, the Court of Appeal held that the prosecution had proved the ingredients of the offence and consequently found the defendants guilty as charged, and upturned the decision of the lower court.