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Money laundering: Omenyi docked, remanded in Kuje prison over armsgate

By Emeka Anuforo, Abuja
12 November 2016   |   2:03 am
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi (rtd) alongside his company, Huzee Nigeria Limited ...
 Omenyi

Omenyi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi (rtd) alongside his company, Huzee Nigeria Limited, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a three-count charge bordering on abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N136.325.000.00.

Omenyi is being prosecuted for his alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the purchase of arms by the military.

A statement from the EFCC in Abuja said Count Two of the charge read: “That you, Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi (whilst being a public officer) and Huzee Nigeria Limited between 16th and 23rd August, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, took possession of the sum of N61, 525,000.00 transferred to the FCMB account of Huzee Nigeria Limited by SkyExperts Nigeria Limited, a contractor of AETSL, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity ( to wit: corruption) of Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, M. S. Abubakar, expressed his readiness, subject to the convenience of the court, to commenced trial immediately.

Also yesterday, the commission arraigned Sada Adamu and Babatunde Faro, an employee of Diamond Bank Plc, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on a four-count charge of money laundering, false declaration of assets and fraud to the tune of $1million.

Spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwajaren, in a statement, alleged that Adamu was alleged to have made cash payment of the said sum, being an amount exceeding the stipulated N5million threshold stipulated by law, to Faro.

The offence, the statement added, is a breach of Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15(2)(b) of the same Act.

One of the counts read: “That you, Sada Adamu, on or about the 2nd day of March 2015, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, made a cash payment of One million US dollars being, an amount exceeding Five million naira, to Babatunde Faro without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15(2)(b) of the same Act.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

Counsel to the EFCC, S. A. Ugwuebulam, asked the court for a date to commence trial.

But W. Y. Maman and W. T. Iorshe, representing Adamu and Faro, respectively, prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail, pending trial.

Justice Dimgba adjourned to November 14, this year for ruling on the bail application and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in Kuje prison.

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