Court adjourns Senator Nwaoboshi’s trial

A Federal High Court Lagos on Monday adjourned until December 10 for continuation of trial of a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, over alleged N322 million money laundering charge.

Nwaoboshi, a senator representing Delta North, was arraigned in 2018, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on two counts of money laundering and fraud.

Also charged are two companies namely: Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail.

Trial has since begun before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke and witnesses are still being led in evidence.

On Monday,  O.A.R Ogunde, SAN, appeared for the prosecution while G. Mowa , C.K Nmarkwe and Unegbu-Amadi appeared for first, second and third defendants respectively.

However, the trial could not proceed due to a mix up in the dates as defence said they had different dates for trial while the prosecutor had different date.

Addressing the court, Ogunde said that the date he received for trial was October 14, whereas in the case list, the date is October 12.

He said that the prosecution had one more witness to close its case and had asked him to be in court on October 14, not knowing about Monday’s date.

Ogunde asked for one more adjournment to produce the witness.

Although defence counsel had told the court that they were prepared to go on with trial, they however, later conceded to an adjournment.

After going through the court’s diary, Justice Aneke adjourned the matter until December 10, December 11 and 14 for continuation of trial.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the defendants committed the offence between May and June 2014, in Lagos.

Nwaoboshi was said to have acquired a property described as Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa Lagos, for the sum of N805 million.

The prosecution said he reasonably ought to have known that N322million out of the purchase sum formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.

The sum was said to have been transferred to the vendors by order of Suiming Electrical Ltd.

In counts two, Suiming Electrical was alleged to have on May 14, 2014, aided Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch to commit money laundering.

The offence contravened the provisions of sections 15(2)(d) , 15 (3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 201.