Justice Ugochukwu Oguakwu of the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos today, threw out the application of Waripamowei Dudafa a former special adviser to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, challenging the plea of his co-accused who had earlier pleaded guilty to being conduits for laundering the sum of $15Million.
The accused, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd and Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd had in September 15, 2016 pleaded guilty, to conspiring with three others to launder the sum of $15Million.
Consequently, Justice Babs Kuewemi of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos declared the four companies guilty the four companies
However, months after the proceeding had commenced trial of other defendants who had pleaded not guilty, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) appeared as the lawyer of the fictitious companies and challenged the plea of the companies.
Justice Kewumi also dismissed the application on the grounds that the application was incompetent and an abuse of court process.
In the same manner, Justice Oguakwu of the appellate Court in a judgment today dismissed the application of Waripamowei Dudafa and ruled that the notice of intention to contend the appeal filed by Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on behalf of the 4th to 7th applicants are incompetent and liable to be dismissed.
The court also held that the application for the 2nd defendant, Amajuoye Azubuike Briggs, the lawyer who registered the companies and doubles as the companies’ secretary, challenging the plea of the 4th to 7th defendants before Justice Kuewumi be argued and ruling delivered at the end of the case pursuant to Section 396 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
