Court orders 9 bags, boxes of money recovered from Ngwuta deposited in CBN

A Federal High Court has ordered that nine bags and boxes containing local and foreign currencies including N35million, £35, 915; $319,096; 50 South African Rands, €280, 000, 380 Dirhams and 420 Dalasis, recovered from Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, be deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice John Tsoho gave the order on Thursday after admitting the nine bags and boxes in evidence.

The Supreme Court Judge, Ngwuta, has a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering, retention and concealment of various sums of money in local and foreign currencies, levelled against him by the Federal Government before the court.

The Federal Government also accused Ngwuta of giving various sums of money above the statutory stipulation to his building contractor for the building of various houses without going through a financial institution.

As the case came up on Thursday, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Olufemi Fatunde, led the fifth prosecution witness, Mr John Otaze, an operative of the Department of State Security to present to the court the nine bags and boxes as exhibits.

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Otazi testified before the court that he was the one who led a team of Department of State Security (DSS) operatives to carry out a search on Ngwuta’s home.

He told the trial judge that all the various sums of money in both local and foreign currencies presented to the court were recovered as claimed in the residence of Ngwuta.

Meanwhile, Tsoho later adjourned the matter till May 26 (tomorrow) for cross-examination of the witness.

 

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