Money Laundering: Court Says Former NBA Vice President Has A Case To Answer

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Thursday, December 19th, 2013

Ruth Bamidele, Lagos

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has ruled that a former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Blessing Ukiri has a case to answer in respect of money laundering charge leveled against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC

The Court therefore dismissed the motion filed against the commission challenging the competence and authority of the EFCC to investigate and prosecute the case.

Ukiri was arraigned by the EFCC on the 15th October, 2012 on a 3-count charge bordering on money laundering.

One of the charges reads, “that you Ukiri Emonena Blessing, on or about the 2nd day of July, 2007 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did transfer the sum of Twenty Million, Four Hundred and Twenty Three Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira (N20,423,700.00) from your United Bank for Africa (UBA) account number 00030550002674 to UBA Stockbrokers Limited using UBA cheque number 01290571 which money you derived from the judgement sum in favour of Samuel Onowighose paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria on the 3rd day of April, 2007 into your Diamond Bank account number 632010000025 with the aim of disguising the origin of the money and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act”.

Justice U. N Agomoh adjourned the matter to February 7, 2014 for trial.