Politics
Justice Ngwuta’s money DSS seized missing, Judge cries out
Part of the N35million the Department of State Service (DSS) claimed it recovered from the home of Justice Sylvester Ngwuta is missing.
This was disclosed by the presiding judge, Justice John Tsoho of the Abuja Federal High Court at the resumption of the trial of the Supreme Court judge, Ngwuta, who is facing money laundering charges, on Friday.
An investigator of the DSS, Mr. John Utazi, had on Thursdsy told the court that the total amount of local currencies it recovered from Ngwuta’s home was N35,358,000. He put the total of foreign currencies recovered at £35, 0915 (Pound Sterling), $319,096 (United States Dollars), R50 (South Africa Rand), €280 Euros, 380 United Arab Emirates Dirhams and 420 Gambian Dalasis.
But before the money, which counsel to the Federal government, Mrs. Olufemi Fatunde tendered into evidence in nine bags and boxes, would be transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria for safe-keeping, Justice Tsoho instructed for a recount of the money.
However, during the continuation of trail on the case on Friday, Justice Tsoho disclosed that N22,160. 00 was missing from the money.
Read also: Court orders 9 bags, boxes of money recovered from Ngwuta deposited in CBN
The Federal Government had claimed that it submitted a total of N35,358,000, but the Judge said that after recounting it was discovered that the total of N35,335,840 was tendered before the court.
Ngwuta’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) was subsequently asked to cross-examine the witness, Mr. Utazi, the fifth prosecution witness in the matter.
RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears
Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
German Police bust alleged Nigerian scam dating ring
German authorities have arrested eleven individuals suspected of being members of a Nigerian mafia group involved in a large-scale dating...
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
Animashaun Ayodeji
May 27, 2017 at 9:06 am
This is funny ?, please how will corruption now leave Nigeria? When corruption trial I see still in progress, the money got missing, it’s really in sane
Amarachi Okoye
May 27, 2017 at 2:48 pm
they know them self i believe they know were the money is so they should stop acting this there corruption mind and bring out the money
Anita Kingsley
May 27, 2017 at 9:10 am
The case is now getting more complicated and twisted. Who stole the missing N22,160k? where the money was originally kept? No one can be trusted in this country.
Abeni Adebisi
May 27, 2017 at 9:17 am
The pbest people to ask how the money went missing are those securing it before, if they cannot give the whereabouts of the missing money, they should also be charged to court for theft!
Joy Madu
May 27, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Dont say that it may be someone did it for a set up in other to implicate others who are there before
JOHNSON PETER
May 27, 2017 at 11:15 am
Release Ngwuta because this case is now baseless and DSS should even pay the man heavily for disgracing him with false allegations
yanju omotodun
May 27, 2017 at 2:33 pm
It’s not false accusations because the money were found in his house truly, so the case is not baseless
seyi jelili
May 27, 2017 at 5:29 pm
And who told you it was not the DSS that planted the monies there? The DSS is corrupt as well