Ramon Oladimeji
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted four companies of laundering $15.5m kept in their accounts with Skye Bank.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission had in August frozen the accounts of the four companies and
seized the $15m in the course of probing Dudafa for money laundering.
But the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, had sued the EFCC and Skye Bank, claiming ownership of the $15.5m.
On Wednesday, Justice Babs Kuewumi convicted the four companies of laundering the $15.5m.
The companies had on September 15, 2016
pleaded guilty to laundering the money when they were arraigned by the
EFCC along with Dudafa, a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs; and a banker,
Adedamola Bolodeoku.
But Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty.
Based on the guilty plea of the
companies, the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, reviewed the facts
of the case and told the court how the companies laundered the money.
Oyedepo told the judge that the money was stolen from the State House, Abuja.
He said, “The EFCC received an
intelligence report showing vividly that the fourth to seventh
defendants retained proceeds of crime. Our investigations showed that
Festus Iyoha admitted receiving the funds from the first defendant
(Dudafa). Iyoha is a domestic staff at the State House.
“He admitted that funds credited into the accounts were given to him from the State House.”
Oyedepo said Iyoha paid $3,096,377.38
into Pluto’s account; $3,410,534.71 into Seagate’s account;
$3,765,711.87 into Trans Oceans’ account; and $250,000 into Avalon
Global’s accout.
He said the accounts of the companies were domiciled in Skye Bank.
Justice Kuewumi admitted the accounts
statements in evidence. He also admitted their mandate cards,
certificates of incorporation and statements made to the EFCC by the
companies’ representatives.
While convicting the companies of money
laundering, the judge said he was satisfied that the EFCC had proven its
case beyond reasonable doubt.
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