EFCC arraigns ex-minister Oduah, others over alleged N7.9bn fraud

Senator Stella Oduah, a former minister of aviation, was charged with 25 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or 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 nearly $7.9 billion in public funds.

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. are additional defendants in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/20.

However, when the accusation 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.

The anti-graft agency, among other things, alleged that Oduah, who also represented Anambra North in the Senate and Odita, who was identified as her aid and the Company Secretary to Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd (SPGC), had in February 2014, used their positions to transfer the sum of N1,629,250,000.00 from I-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account No. 2021756955 with First Bank Plc, to Global Offshore and Marine Ltd account No. 2022977296 also domiciled with First Bank Plc, which money they reasonably ought to have known that it formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.

The defendants were accused of opening a naira “anonymous Private Banking Nominee Account No. 2024414450 with First Bank Plc and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 11(4) (a) of the same Act.”

They were equally accused of opening a United State dollar “anonymous Private Banking Nominee account No. 2024414498 with First Bank Plc and thereby committed 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 let the defendants to leave on the administrative bail the EFCC had earlier granted them after they pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In order to ensure zealous prosecution of the defendants, the court further ordered the EFCC to transmit the case file to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Source