EFCC ‘frustrated’ by slow N5bn corruption trial of Nnamani

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday expressed frustration over the ongoing trial of Chimaroke Nnamani, former governor of Enugu state.

Nnamani and others were first charged before a federal high court in Lagos in 2007 over alleged economic crime, money-laundering and financial impropriety to the tune of N5 billion.

When the case came up on Monday, EFCC’s lawyer Kelvin Uzozie expressed frustration that nothing serious had happened in the matter since its commencement in 2007.

Uzozie’s frustration came on the heels of an application argued by Ricky Tarfa (SAN), Nnamani’s lawyer, asking for permission to allow the ex-governor travel to the United States for urgent medical surgery.

When the matter was called, Uzozie told the court that he was ready for trial, as he could see that Nnamai was fit to stand trial.

But Tarfa objected, saying his application for leave to travel abroad for medical check-up was ripe for hearing.

Frustrated by the development, Uzozie told the court that he would prefer to file an application to separate Nnamani from other accused persons in the charge, so the case against other accused persons could at least go on.

At the end of arguments, the court granted Nnamani leave to travel abroad and fixed November 18, 2014, for hearing of pending applications.

Nnamani was first arraigned before Justice Tijani Abubakar in 2007 and after more than five years, he was re-arraigned before Justice Mohammed Yinusa on an amended 105-count charge of money laundering and economic crimes.

The ex-governor was docked alongside Sunday Anyaogu, his then aide and six firms linked to them: Rainbownet Nig Ltd, Hillgate Nig Ltd, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.

The financial impropriety was allegedly committed while Nnamani was governor between 1999 and 2007.

Nnamani also represented his senatorial constituency at the senate after he served as governor, but lost when he contested again in 2011.

The case was re-assigned to Justice Charles Archibong following the transfer of Justice Abubakar, now of the Appeal Court, out of the Lagos division of the federal high court.

Again, the case was re-assigned to the current judge (Justice Yinusa) after Justice Archibong (now retired) was also transferred out of the Lagos division of the court.

According to the charge, Nnamani conspired with other accused persons to launder various statutory allocations of some local government areas of Enugu state.

The local governments are: Aninri, Enugu South, Agwu, Igbo Etiti and Isi Uzor

For instance, Count 9 alleged that Nnamani stole N1.4 billion from the Excess Crude Oil Funds allocated to local governments in the state.

Besides, through the help of one Chinero Nwigwe, the former governor allegedly fraudulently transferred millions of dollars of Enugu state funds to his personal accounts in the United States of America.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Chimaroke Nnamani, Sunday Onyeakazuru Anyaogu, Rainbownet Nig Ltd, Hillgate Nig Ltd, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School, sometime in March 2007, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did transfer $1, 556, 994.02 ($1.5m) to the foreign account in the United States of America (in which Chimaroke Nnamani and Chinero Nwigwe are sole signatories to the account) which sum you knew represented the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said crime and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) of Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.”