EFCC begins trial of Senator Nwoboshi
Nwoboshi was accused of committed a N322 million fraud, his trial
started on Wednesday in Lagos with the prosecution opening its case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed a
two-count charge of money laundering and fraud on Nwaoboshi, who
represents Delta North in the National Assembly.
Also charged along with him are two companies — Golden Touch
Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd.
Nwaoboshi had at its arraignment pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Mohammed Idris had granted him bail on self-recognizance as a
serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Wednesday, the EFCC
called its first witness, Prince Kpokpogiri, who mounted the witness
box after he swore on oath and was led in evidence.
The witness told the court that he wrote a petition to the EFCC after
he received an anonymous call and some documents at his office in
Asaba, Delta capital.
He said he was subsequently invited by the EFCC to Abuja to come and
adopt the petition.
The witness also told the court that he runs a NGO known as
Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, and also owned a real Estate
Firm, called P.K Aro Multiservices Nigeria Ltd.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe
(SAN), the witness said that it was not his duty to investigate the
contents of his petition before forwarding same to the EFCC because
"it is the duty of the commission to investigate".
He, however, said that he only perused the document.
Idigbe then said: "I put it to you that apart from the fact that you
did not investigate the documents, you did not also take any step to
verify the facts stated in the petition."
The witness maintained that it was not his duty to investigate.
In his examination-in-chief, the second prosecution witness, Mr
Murtala Abubakar, told the court that the third accused, (Suiming
Electricals Ltd), applied for a loan at the Nigerian Export Import
Bank in December 2013, which was approved in April 2014.
He said that the head of the Enterprise Risk Management unit of the
bank said that the accused was a former board member of the bank.
The witness also said that while the meeting to take a decision on the
loan request was being held, the accused indicated his interest in the
transaction and was recused from the deliberation.
He said that the accused is a director at Bildeberg, a holding
company, which had the majority shareholding in Suiming Electricals
Nigeria Ltd.
According to him, the EFCC made five requests to the bank on Suiming
Electricals Ltd, starting from June 2017 in respect of the loan
granted the company.
He said the company met all the bank's conditions before the loan was disbursed.
The witness said that although the third accused had repaid over one
billion naira out of the facility which was for five years, "it is
still a non-performing one."
"There is a difference between paying and performing; when we give a
loan, we give you a payment plan, so, when you are supposed to be
paying one million naira quarterly but you are paying ₦200,000, you
are paying but you are not performing."
The court adjourned the case until July 2 and July 3 to enable the
prosecution to assemble its remaining witnesses.
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