By Joe Udo
The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, 22 February 2024, arraigned a former banker with one of the old generation banks: Victor Joseph and Ahmad Muhhammad Aliyu on money laundering charges to the tune of N110,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Million Naira only).
They were arraigned on five-count charges bordering on money laundering before Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court Maitama Abuja.
Count two of the charge reads “that you Victor Joseph being a former staff of the United Bank for Africa, 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 an unlawful act to wit; obtaining money by false pretense 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 their charges to them, both defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting Prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi to pray for a trial date. Counsels to the first and second defendants, Gbenga Ashowole and Nelem Orji informed the court of applications for bail for their clients.
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Justice Maha thereafter remanded the defendants at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till 27 February 2024, for hearing of bail applications.
The defendants were docked for allegedly transferring N110,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Million Naira) fraudulently from the National Assembly office account between 27 March and 11 April 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.
