With barely eight days to the January 30 date fixed for the judgment
in the N25billion money laundering charge against Michael Igbinedion,
brother of ex- Edo state governor, Lucky Igbinedion and Charles
Eboigbodin by Justice J. Liman of the Federal High Court, Benin, alarm
has been raised over surreptitious moves to compromise the case.
One of the accused persons, is alleged for have confided in close
aides that he has been sending money to persons that could help him
ensure a soft landing in the matter, including overtures to the
prosecution and the judge. He boasted to have reached out with an offer
of N50million to one of the parties, after the adoption of final
addresses in the case last November.
This is the second time issue of bribery is coming into the open in
the case, a few months ago, a lawyer who was approached by the same
accused person declined to take his brief after he was told in no
uncertain terms that the judge had been “spoken to”..
These innuendos are worrisome, as they cast a pall of doubt on the
integrity of the proposed judgment. “These claims put the judge into
focus. His integrity is a stake, and it is important that he puts those
who want to pervert the cause of justice to shame,” a knowledgeable
source said
A few years ago, Lucky Igbinedion, former Edo Sate
governor who is also an accused person, in this case, received a slap
on the wrist in a controversial judgment by the Federal High Court,
Enugu. Justice Abdullahi Kafarati offered him an option of N3.5million
fine after finding him guilty on one count charge of corruption. Till
today, the judge is still haunted by the ruling.
Charles
Eboigbodin and Micheal Igbinedion, along with their companies; Gava
Corporation Limited; Romrig Nigeria Limited; PML Securities Company
Limited and PML Nigeria Limited are being prosecuted by the EFCC. for an
N25Billion scam, bothering on; Money Laundering, Misappropriation of
funds, conspiracy and Abuse of office.
At the last adjourned date,
November 14, 2014, January 30 was reserved for judgement after the
adoption of written addresses by both the prosecuting counsel Rotimi
Jacob SAN, and the defense counsels: Mike Ozekhome SAN, Ricky Tafa SAN
and Barr. Richard O. Ahonaruogo.
While addressing the court, Jacobs hinged his submission on the
testimonies of both the prosecutions witnesses and those of the defence
which according to him collaborated the charge, with emphasis on the
several public funds deposited into private accounts, and how government
funds were used to repay several loans collected by the former governor
while he was in office.
Jacobs then prayed the court to "accept the prosecutions case as presented and convict the accused persons as charged".
It would be recalled that during trial, a prosecution witness Mr.
Ajoyo Sowale, an Accounts Officer with the Guaranty Trust Bank,
identified various account statements and account opening documents of
the accused persons and confirmed to the court that several lodgements
were made into the various accounts, and that he printed the various
account statements and got them certified by the appropriate authority.
Another witness Mr. Eriyo Amadiayagbon David who was a Personal
Assistant to Micheal Igbinedion also told the court how he was
instructed on several occasions to make lodgements into his GTB account
and those of Romrig Nigeria Limited and Gava Corporation. According to
David, he usually received cash from the Accountant at the Government
House and paid into the account of the second accused person, "and after
paying the government entourage, the remaining cash was usually given
to the ADC to the Governor". David further identified his name on the
printed account statement of Michael Igbinedion, which is part of the
exhibits before the court.
Abdullahi Hamza an EFCC operative who was also a witness in the
trial, further gave a detailed account of how investigations were
conducted and how it was discovered that state funds were diverted by
the accused persons for other personal purposes, such as buying of
various shares, and several payments made into the account of Ekpenyong
and Sons, a company owned by the first accused person, Patrick
Eboigbodin.
