Alleged N5bn Fraud: Again Arraignment of Senator Oduah Suffers Setback

Alleged N5bn Fraud: Again Arraignment of Senator Oduah Suffers Setback

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The scheduled arraignment of Anambra Senator, Stella Oduah, before a Federal High Court Abuja suffered another setback for the sixth consecutive time on Monday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is seeking to arraign the former Aviation Minister, under former President Goodluck Jonathan over an alleged N5 billion fraud.

The lawmaker and eight others were scheduled for arraignment before Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday. However, the arraignment could not go on following some observations by her lawyer.

When the matter was called, the senator representing Anambra North in the senate and three others were to enter into the dock for their pleas but the counsel to 7th and 8th defendants, Ogwu Onoja, SAN objected to the arraignment on the grounds that his clients were being persecuted by EFCC.

The senior lawyer insisted that the aggrieved defendants had petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, SAN seeking for a review of the charges against them.

Ogwu informed Justice Ekwo that the AGF upon receipt of the petition, wrote the Executive Chairman of the EFCC to remit the case file to his office for a review adding that in flagrant disregard to the AGF’s letter, the EFCC had bluntly refused to remit the case file to the AGF.

He tendered certified true copy of the AGF’s letter as received by the EFCC chairman and urged the court not to go ahead in the arraignment until the petition had been resolved in the interest of justice.

However, counsel to EFCC, Mr Ofem Uket, denied knowing anything about the AGF’s letter adding that as a staff of EFCC, he was just sighting the letter for the first time in court.

The counsel urged the court to disregard the petition by the defendants and proceed to arraign them.

He said that the AGF would have come to the court if he had any opposition to the arraignment.

However, Justice Ekwo said that since the petition was raised as both statutory and constitutional matter by the defendants, he would not proceed.

The Judge then ordered counsel in the matter to file written addresses for and against the issue raised in the open court and exchange same on the competence of the charges before the adjournmed date..

Justice Ekwo fixed February 10, 2022 for adoption of the written addresses and also ordered that Mrs Oduah and other defendants in the charges should continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them.

Mrs Oduah’s planned arraignment for November 22 in the corruption charges had before now, been stalled five times due to her persistent absence in court and public holiday.

Justice Ekwo had on July 12 threatened to issue bench warrant for her arrest should she fail to make herself available for arraignment on the then adjournmed date of October 19 which later fell on Eid-el Maulud holiday.

The arrest threat was issued following her non appearance to honour court proceedings of July 12 without any explanation from her side.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is alleging that Mrs Oduah misappropriated about N5 billion public funds while serving as Aviation Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime.

Other defendants are Mrs Gloria Odita, Mrs Nwosu Nnamdi, Mrs Chukwuma Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Tip Top Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited and Sobora International Limited among others.

They are charged with conspiracy and money laundering as well as maintaining anonymous bank accounts.

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