Justice Ngwuta charged for illegal possession of $319,000, multiple passports, others

One month after the Department of State Services (DSS) raided homes of seven judges, the Federal Government has finally charged one of them, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, to court on alleged illegal possession of $319,596.0025, multiple passports, amongst others.

On the whole, the government on Tuesday brought a 9-count charge of money laundering and corruption against the Supreme Court judge before a Federal High Court, Abuja.

It accused Ngwuta of illegally retaining in his possession N35, 358, 000.00 contrary to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and that he reserved in his custody 280.00 r. 44, $319,596.0025 and 25,915 pounds sterling.

The prosecution also claimed that the monies were part of the proceeds of unlawful act contrary to the Money Laundering Act. It went further to allege that four diplomatic passports, one official and two standard Nigerian passports all having the name of the defendant on them, were found during DSS search of his home on October 7 and 8.

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According to the charge, the defendant allegedly obtained multiple passports contrary to Section 10 of the Immigration Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Section. It added that Justice Ngwuta allegedly made false statement to the Passport Office in respect to his date of birth to enable him procure additional Diplomatic Passport for himself.

Ngwuta is also accused of having in his possession, two valid Diplomatic Passports, for which reason he committed an offence under Section 10 of the Immigration Act.

However, the case file has not yet been assigned for trial.

Ngwuta along with his colleague, Justice Inyang Okoro and five other federal justices had been suspended by the Nigeria Judicial Council on allegation of corruption.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

 

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