New Telegraph

FG tenders $1.3m cash recovered in ex-Air Chief’s house in court

The Federal Government, yesterday, tendered before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja a cash sum of 1.3 million dollars recovered from the Abuja mansion of retired Air Commodore Umar Mohammed. The foreign currency was tendered by government and was admitted as exhibit after it was counted in the open courtroom with the aid of electronic counting machine.

The exhibit was tendered during the continuation of trial of Commodore Mohammed over alleged fraud and money laundering charges brought against him by government. At the resumed trial, the prosecution counsel, Labaran Magaji, tendered the as exhibit along with various other currencies, with an explanation that they were recovered from the defendant’s possession.

However, the defence counsel, Dr Hassan Liman (SAN), thereafter cross examined the prosecution witness, Stephen Olatubosun, through whom the exhibit was tendered. The lawyer, thereafter, informed the court of his client’s intention to file a no case submission on the ground that prima facie case has not been established against him.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, after listening to parties in the matter, ordered the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court to deposit the foreign currency with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, pending conclusion of the trial.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to May 27, for adoption of final addresses, by the parties in the no case submission motion. The retired Air Chief is facing a three-count charge of alleged money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and classified documents without authority. He was accused of receiving 1.3 million dollars cash from one Worldwide Consortium PTY Ltd in 2016, through his company Easyjet Airlines in violation of the Money Laundering Act 2011.

Read Previous

Reps summon Customs over non-rendition of accounts

Read Next

Northern elders: Silence of leaders, elders worsened insecurity in region

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *