₦airaland Forum

The trial of suspended Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta commenced yesterday before a Federal High Court in Abuja with the judge being granted bail on self-recognisance.

The Special Prosecutor appointed by the federal government, Charles Adeogun-Philips, had earlier opposed the bail saying Justice Ngwuta hid N27 million in his bathroom and three exotic cars in his Abakaliki, Ebonyi State home.

Justice Ngwuta was arraigned on 16-count charge bordering on money laundering, concealment of property, and obtaining multiple travel passports. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Adeogun-Philips had also objected to the bail, arguing that the judge will interfere with evidence and potential witnesses in the trial.

But Justice John Tsoho in granting the judge bail on self-recognisance worth N100 million, held that the submissions of the prosecution were based on fear since there was no proof before the court that his administrative bail was revoked on account of such interference.

The prosecutor had narrated how Justice Ngwuta made a call to his associate in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to remove the N27 million and the three exotic cars shortly after he was released by the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 9.

He said the judge was charged in count 10 with having multiple identities, since he was found with four valid passports, two of which are diplomatic passports.

“The Immigration Office investigations showed that the defendant declared two of those passports lost,” he said.

“My lord, we are confronted with such acts of dishonesty while on administrative bail. He was using them concurrently and interchangeably. We object to the defendant being released on self-recognisance,” he added.

Arguing the bail application, defence counsel Kanu Agabi (SAN) pleaded with the judge to release the defendant on self-recognisance based on the provisions of Sections 32, 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and because of his social standing.

“The defendant bears a title that nobody can take away from him. He is more anxious to take away the stain from his person,” Agabi said.

According to the charges filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Muhammed Umar Etsu, various sums including thirty five million, three hundred and fifty eight naira (N35, 358, 000.00) and twenty five million, nine hundred and fifteen British Pounds (£25, 915) were retained by the judge on October 8, 2016.

The prosecution further alleged that between 2014 and 2016, the judge transferred funds totaling $1 million in both Naira and US Dollars to one Linus Chukwuebuka, a building contractor.

The judge was also alleged to have made a false statement to the Passport Office of the Nigerian Immigration Service concerning his date of birth for the purpose of procuring an additional Diplomatic Passport.

The offences are contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2012 (as amended) and Section 10 (1) (a) of the Immigration Act 2015.

The case has been adjourned to December 7 for hearing.

Senator Shehu Sani yesterday said his suspension from the All Progressives Congress (APC) gave him the opportunity to do more for his people.

The senator, who stated this through his senior political adviser, Suleiman Ahamad, while giving motorcycles to ward chairmen in three local governments in his constituency, said he had in the past one year reached out to the masses regardless of party affiliations and other factors that would have limited his outreach.

He said that gave him satisfaction to practice what he always believed in, which is to better the lot of the people across board.

“Whether suspension or no suspension, Shehu Sani feels he owes a responsibility to the society. From day one of this assumed suspension, he felt freer to offer service to the people because when you are being cajoled by the party in the state, at end of the day you might not be able to serve the people because you will be hooked,” he said.

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has denied that his administration is funding the proposed N38bn cargo airport in the state.

The governor, who explained that it was an initiative of the private sector, said the state government would only provide land for the project.

Addressing State House correspondents yesterday after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, Ortom said he would not construct an airport when he could not pay salaries regularly.

He said: "Those expressing reservations are doing so out of ignorance or mischief. It's a straight forward matter...The cargo airport is purely a private initiative by a consortium. Benue State Government is not going to pay N1. How can I go to construct an airport when I can't pay salaries as and when due? There is no need for that. But it is going to be a hub for the entire West Africa, lifts cargo, especially agricultural produce to other parts of the world.

"This consortium has arranged a funding of this project and because we're providing the enabling environment and providing land, they've also offered the state governments 15 percent equity arranged by this same consortium. Government is not paying N1. The payment will only come when the project is completed and out of our diligence, we'll pay back within a secured period. And the concessional agreement is for 25 years and then we shall renegotiate.

"And the N38bn is not just going to be for cargo airport. It's going to provide a chain of projects that would really promote the economy of the state. There's going to be housing estate, road construction, dualisation of the road from Lafia to Makurdi to Otupko and Ninth Mile. There's going to be a training school and several other things that would support the airport. Of course, there's going to be industries that would be processing our primary products whether finished or semi finished products as the case may be."

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to give the decision of the Senate to return the list of non-career ambassadors to the presidency for reviewing a political colouration.

The APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who gave the advice on Wednesday, said attempts by the PDP to give the Senate’s action a political colouration and other negative interpretations were unnecessary and misleading.

Odigie-Oyegun noted that the Senate, in the adopted report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs, stated on Tuesday that the decision to return the list followed petitions received on the nominations and went ahead to propose that the presidency review the ambassadorial list.

He assured Nigerians that the relationship among the country’s three arms of government, particularly the executive and the legislature was healthy and strong.

He said, "President Muhammadu Buhari is a democrat and does not subscribe to the idea of “controlling” the National Assembly as was the practice with the PDP during its 16-year misrule of the country.

"Respect for the principle of the Rule of Law and the constitutional provisions of Separation of Power between the three arms of government is a best practice and also healthy for our democracy. The powers and duties of the three arms of government are clearly spelt out in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and President Muhammadu Buhari respects them."

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State said yesterday that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was already gunning for the Presidency ahead of 2019 by cooking up innuendos against people working for the betterment of Nigeria.

El-Rufai was responding to an allegation made by Atiku in an interview with Zero Tolerance, a publication of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in which he claimed that he turned down shares offered him by the Kaduna State governor during the incorporation of Transcorp.

In a statement he personally signed, El-Rufai said, “Alhaji Atiku is already running for 2019, and he thinks that he can make people like us collateral damage in his attempt to rejuvenate his image.

“This obsession for power inclined him to support the rebellion against the party that manifested in the National Assembly, and is continuing with obvious disrespect for the incumbent president.

“Everyone knows that I support and will continue to work for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari as he leads our country through tough times,” he said.

El-Rufai also said rather than calling names, Atiku should address corruption issues trailing him.

“Like everyone else, Alhaji Atiku is entitled to rehabilitation. But that often requires coming clean with the people. Can Alhaji Atiku explain the findings in the report of the United States Senate Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigations which detailed a pattern of wire transfers of more than USD 40m from offshore companies like Siemens into bank accounts controlled by him and one of his wives. The report detailing the US Senate findings is online, as one of four case histories of foreign corruption in the USA. Alhaji Atiku should tell a better tale of why he is avoiding the United States of America,” he said.

“Someone as obsessed with Nigeria’s presidency as he is, should clear up such matters conclusively. We wait to see how well he does with that,” he added.

El-Rufai said he was compelled to response to issues surrounding the incorporation of Transcorp.

“I never had anything to do with the incorporation of Transcorp. Those that established that company and fronted it like Festus Odimegwu, Tony Elumelu, Otunba Lawal Solarin and Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke are still around and alive. As such I could not have and did not offer Alhaji Atiku any shares in Transcorp. I declined the shares that were offered to me. Having done that, how could I have offered anyone shares?” he asked.