By our reporter| The Lagos division of the Court of Appeal on Friday sentenced Peter Nwaoboshi, senator representing Delta north district, to seven years imprisonment for money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2018 before Mohammed Idris, a judge who was later elevated to the court of appeal, arraigned Nwaoboshi and his two firms, Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd.
They were then re-arraigned before Chukwujekwu Aneke on October 5, 2018, on a two-count charge marked FHC/L/117C/18, which alleged that the defendants laundered N322 million between May and June 2014.
But in a judgment delivered in June 2021, the lower court held that the agency failed to prove the elements of the offences for which it charged the senator.
According to the court, the prosecution’s case collapsed because “bank officials were not called to testify”.
However, not satisfied with the judgment, the EFCC filed an appeal.
The appellate court, on Friday, overturned the lower court’s judgment and convicted the senator.
According to a statement by the EFCC, the court of appeal held that the trial judge erred in dismissing the charges against the respondents.
“It said the prosecution had proved the ingredients of the offence and consequently found the defendants guilty as charged,” the statement reads.
The court of appeal also ordered that the two companies be wound up.
Leave a Reply