Esu-Nte is being prosecuted alongside Olukolade Olabamiji, a
businessman, Mohammed Abdulkadir, a banker and three companies - Royal
Mall Nig. Ltd, Transferase Ventures, I. D. Integrated Petroleum,
alleged to have been involved in committing the fraud.
The trial of Imaobong Akon Esu-Nte, an accountant with the Nigeria
Prisons Service, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, on an 11-count charge of money laundering,
conspiracy, forgery and abuse of office, continued before Justice E.
S. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on October 6, 2015, with
the anti-graft agency presenting more evidence against her and
co-accused.
Esu-Nte is being prosecuted alongside Olukolade Olabamiji, a
businessman, Mohammed Abdulkadir, a banker and three companies - Royal
Mall Nig. Ltd, Transferase Ventures, I. D. Integrated Petroleum,
alleged to have been involved in committing the fraud.
Justice Chukwu had on June 10, 2015 dismissed an application by the
accused persons, seeking to quash the corruption charges.
At the resumed sitting, prosecution witness, Sini Omar, tendered
before the court as evidence, all the statements written by the
accused persons.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Titus O. Ashaolu, he
told the court that the procedure employed in obtaining the statements
from the accused persons, followed professional procedures, and was
according to world best practices.
During the questioning, Ashaolu had insinuated that Omar threatened
all the accused persons at one point or the other, and initially
denied them administrative bail in order to get confessional
statements from them, accusations which Omar denied.
While stressing that at no time were the accused persons denied any
legal representation and that Esu-Nte was never denied administrative
bail contrary to the claim, he said, “She was granted administrative
bail on that same day, but couldn't meet the bail conditions and once
a suspect is invited to EFCC, bail is granted to the suspect before
the close of work as it is a necessity in EFCC and if a suspect is
still in custody after a day it is due to the inability to meet the
bail conditions set out.”
He further stressed that at no time were the accused persons
threatened, adding that “as a standard for granting administrative
bail, EFCC gives two serving directors as a prerequisite and they must
have landed property within Abuja and be ready to submit their
international passports. However, in their case, none of them was able
to meet the conditions and EFCC had to bring down the bail
conditions.”
Justice Chukwu, thereafter, adjourned till October 7, 2015 for further hearing.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
6th October, 2015