Alleged N21.4bn fraud: EFCC re-arraigned ex chief of naval staff Amosun, others
A former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Adesola Amosu (retd.), was on Tuesday re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N21.4 billion fraud.
Amosu, alongside Air Vice Marshall Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo, were re-arraigned before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos on a 13 count charge.
The trio were first arraigned in June 2016 alongside eight firms before Justice Mohammed Idris.
Their re-arraignment before Justice C.J. Aneke yesterday followed the elevation of Justice Idris to the Court of Appeal.
As a result of Justice Idris’ elevation, Amosu’s trial, which has lasted over two years in court, is starting (de novo) afresh before Justice Aneke.
The EFCC has amended the charge sheet by dropping the names of the eight firms, which were joined as defendants in the earlier charge sheet.
Prior to the re-arraignment of the defendants, Justice Aneke, in a ruling, rejected the prayer by the defence counsel that the eight firms, whose names were removed from the charge sheet, should first be discharged and acquitted before any further action.
However, the Judge in his ruling faulted the argument of the defence counsel and directed that the amended charge be read to them.
They all pleaded not guilty.
In the first count, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves “to covert a total sum of N21,467,634,707.43, property of the Nigerian Air Force, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities, to wit: criminal breach of trust.”
The anti-graft agency alleged they diverted the N21.4bn using several firms.
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the defendants committed the offence on March 5, 2014, adding that they violated Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and were liable to be punished under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
After they pleaded not guilty, Justice Aneke allowed them to continue with the bail granted them in 2016 by Justice Idris.
He adjourned till Wednesday (today) for continuation of trial.
Meanwhile, the EFCC is in moves to secure a permanent forfeiture order on a sum of N2.2bn recovered from Amosu.
A similar order is being sought on N190,828,978.15 recovered from Gbadebo.
The anti-graft agency filed a final forfeiture application for the funds before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun who had adjourned ruling on the application till December 3, 2018.
