Closes defence in N5m fraud case against Benue Deputy Speaker, others
By Kingsley Nwezeh
In its bid to contain money laundering activities in the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has listed requirements for the registration of law firms, non-designated financial institutions and other business organisations.
A document containing the list of requirements for registration issued by the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), listed such organisations as law firms, dealers in luxury goods, limited liabilities, dealers in jewelry, car dealers and supermarket among others.
Others are hotel and hospitality business, casinos, pool betting, lottery business and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs).
It listed the requirements for
registration to include certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association, and tax identification number.
Others are Bank Verification Number (BVN), bank name and account number.
“Any company that has the following business objective (mining, oil/gas, export, investment and pharmacy) in their MEMAT should ensure that the necessary approvals/authorisation/licences are attached to their applications”, it said.
Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the listed requirements for registration was a normal and routine procedure.
“That is their work. The department is called Special Control Unit against Money Laundering. They register non-designated business organisations, law firms, accounting firms, NGOs, etc.
“That is their responsibility. They are doing their work. It is normal and routine”, he said.
Meanwhile, the EFCC said yesterday it had closed its case against the Deputy Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Christopher Adaji and the Clerk of the House, Torese Agena, before Justice S. O. Itodo of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi.
A statement by the commission said the two were being prosecuted by the Makurdi Zonal Office of the EFCC, on a two-count charge of abuse of office and criminal misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N5,040,950.
At yesterday’s sitting, prosecution counsel, George Chia-Yakua, closed its case against the defendants after the testimony of the third prosecution witness (PW3), Gideon Kure, an EFCC staff, who told the court that the commission got incriminating evidence against the defendants from different organisations, from which it tendered 23 exhibits that were admitted in evidence by court.
It would be recalled that before yesterday’s sitting, Clifford Tyover Attle (PW1) and Ifa Celestine Mbakaa (PW2) had testified against the defendants.
Justice Itodo adjourned the matter till December 9, 2020 for cross-examination of PW3 and for the defendants to open their defence.
