A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, admitted former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to a N500 million bail with two sureties in the like sum over allegations bordering on N1.96 billion fraud.
Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling on Nwabuoku’s bail application moved by his lawyer, Isidore Udenko, ordered that the sureties must be owners of landed property within Abuja and shall depose to affidavit of means.
Justice Omotosho held that the value of the property should not be less than N250 million each.
He ordered that the sureties shall submit their bank statements and tax clearance for three years which shall be verified by the court registrar.
The judge adjourned the matter until Jan. 31 for trial.
Earlier, Nwabuoku pleaded not guilty to a nine-count amended charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the commission’s lawyer, Martha Babatunde, sought the leave of court for the charge to be read to him.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, listed Nwabuoku as sole defendant.
In count one of the charge filed on Nov. 27, 2024, by Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the EFCC alleged that Nwabuoku, alongside Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited (at large), Turge Global Investment Limited (at large), Laptev Bridge Limited, Arafura Transnational Afro Limited (at large) and other persons (all at large) conspired to convert funds which are proceeds of unlawful activities.
The anti-graft agency said the offence was contrary to Section 18 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as (amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
NAN reports that Nwabuoku and his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, in the earlier charge, had, on Oct. 14, 2024, opted for a plea bargain agreement with the EFCC.
A lawyer who appeared for EFCC, Ogechi Ujam, informed Justice Omotosho upon resumed hearing in the matter.
Ujam had told the court that on the last adjourned date, Nwabuoku and Nweke had submitted proposal for settlement.
She said the parties, in the 11-count charge, had agreed and that the agreement be submitted to the EFCC’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for approval.
However, when the matter was called on Wednesday, Babatunde, who represented the anti-graft agency, informed the court that an amended charge had been filed by the agency.
In the charge, only Nwabuoku was listed as the defendant while Nweke’s name had been dropped.
Although upon resumed hearing, Nwabuoku and Nweke stepped into the dock, no lawyer appeared for the latter.
Justice Omotosho then asked about his lawyer and Nweke said he called his lawyer on phone and he was expecting him to be in court.
The anti-graft lawyer then told the court that the commission had filed an amended charge.
She prayed the court to allow the charge to be read to Nwabuoku and it was not opposed by Udenko, who was counsel to him.
Nweke then stepped out of the court and the nine counts were read to Nwabuoku, who pleaded not guilty to the charge.
His lawyer then moved his bail application which was vehemently opposed by Babatunde.
Babatunde objected to Nnabuoku’s bail plea orally on the ground of the weighty nature of the offence.
She said the defendant might jump bail and refuse to stand his trial.
She urged the court to take judicial notice of her submission if the court was minded to grant him bail.
NAN, however, gathered that Nweke, who was earlier listed as co-defendant, had agreed to serve as prosecution witness in the charge against Nwabuoku after he had fully refunded the money he allegedly laundered.
Nwabuoku and Nweke, a former Deputy Director in the Ministry of Defence, were earlier being prosecuted for the alleged money laundering offences.
While Nwabuoku was the 1st defendant in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24 dated May 20, 2024, and filed May 27, 2024, by Iheanacho, Nweke was the 2nd defendant.
They were alleged to have perpetrated the act while Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
Nwabuoku was appointed acting AGF on May 20, 2022, under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari after Ahmed Idris was suspended as AGF over alleged N80 billion fraud.
He was, however, removed in July 2022, a few weeks after assumed office.
Sylva Okolieaboh, a Director at the Treasury Single Account (TSA) Department, replaced Nwabuoku as acting AGF.
Okolieaboh’s appointment followed after report that Nwabuoku was under the radar of EFCC over corruption allegations.
NAN had, on July 10, 2024, reported that the ex-AGF and his co-defendants begged the court to give them more time to conclude the refund of the public funds allegedly siphoned.
They prayed the judge to halt their arraignment until another date to perfect the refund.
(NAN)
