ALLEGED $40M FRAUD: Jonathan’s cousin defeats EFCC in Appeal Court

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Friday upheld the no-case submission filed by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola, in his trial for alleged fraud and money laundering trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2016 arraigned Azibaola and his wife, Stella, on a nine-count charge of fraud and money laundering to the tune of $40million.

The commission alleged that the couple alongside a company linked to the ex-president’s cousin, One Plus Holdings Limited, diverted the funds meant for the supply of tactical communication kits for Special Forces.

The EFCC also claimed that the money was transferred from the account of the Office of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the domiciliary account of Azibaola’s company.

A three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Stephen Adah in a unanimous judgment held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.

READ ALSO: $40m FRAUD: EFCC vows to appeal acquittal of ex-President Jonathan’s cousin

The panel held that the lower court was right when it upheld the no-case submission of the first and third defendants partially.

Justice Adah said: “The trial court was in order to discharge and acquit Azibaola and his company in counts 1,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 because offences of money laundering were not sufficiently proved, nor did the prosecution established any prima facie case against the respondents.

“We have gone through the records and found that the appeal is lacking in merit, the appeal is hereby dismissed and the Judgment of the lower court upheld.”

The court also dismissed a preliminary objection to the appeal on the grounds that the interlocutory appeal has live.

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