Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Monday convicted and sentenced former Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years imprisonment for money laundering involving N868.4 million. The conviction followed a nine-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency had accused Nwabuoku of conspiring with several companies to convert proceeds of unlawful activities between September 2019 and October 2020 in Abuja. According to the charges, hundreds of millions of naira were funneled through corporate accounts, including those linked to Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, and Laptev Bridge Limited.
Delivering judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that funds meant for the Ministry of Defence were diverted for personal use. He added that the use of corporate accounts without the defendant’s name was a deliberate attempt to conceal the illicit transactions and evade detection.
“The evidence is clear that funds meant for the Ministry of Defence were converted to personal use when they were transferred into corporate accounts for the benefit of the defendant,” the judge ruled. “The defendant, being a civil servant at the material time, claimed he had so many investments; however, the evidence before the court did not provide proof of any legitimate business to justify the volume of funds he controlled.”
Justice Omotosho further highlighted inconsistencies in the defendant’s financial activities, stating: “He was unable to explain how he purchased a property worth N64 million and acquired shares valued at N200 million. It must also be noted that the defendant refunded N220 million to the EFCC recovery account, which was not challenged. The implication is that he admitted to the crime of money laundering.”
