EFCC arraigns ex-banker, another for N110m money laundering

The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned a former banker with one of the old generation banks, Victor Joseph; as well as one Ahmad Muhhammad Aliyu before Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

They were arraigned on five counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N110m.

Count two of the charge reads, “That you Victor Joseph, being a former staff of…, Ahmad Muhammad Aliyu and another now at large, between March and April 2023 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did indirectly take control of an aggregate sum of N110,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Million Naira) which you knew or reasonably ought to know represents proceed of unlawful act to wit; obtaining money under false pretences and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2002  and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”

Upon reading the charges to them, both defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi, to pray for a trial date.

Counsel for the first and second defendants, Gbenga Ashowole and Nelem Orji respectively, informed the court of applications for bail for their clients.

Justice Maha thereafter remanded the defendants at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till February 27, 2024, for hearing of bail applications.

According to the EFCC, the defendants were arrested for allegedly transferring N110m fraudulently from the National Assembly office account between March 27 and April 11 2023, using fictitious transfer instructions.

Further investigations showed that the forged instructions were submitted at the UBA National Assembly Business office, Abuja branch, for processing and the funds were transferred to various beneficiaries in three banks. The money was traced from these three banks to several other beneficiaries who later returned the funds to Joseph that initiated the transactions.