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| Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani | credits: news.lalate.com |
The various assets of four of the six companies charged with money
laundering along with a former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke
Nnamani, were on Tuesday forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Lagos
pronounced the companies’ assets and all the funds standing to their
credit in various banks forfeited to the Federal Government after they
had been convicted for the offence levelled against them.
According to the schedule of the companies’ properties filed before the
court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the
companies have landed properties, shares and equipment jointly
numbering about 81 and scattered across various locations in Enugu,
Abakaliki, Aba, Owerri, Onitsha and Umuahia.
While the assets were said to be worth over N5bn, the amount standing
to the companies’ credit in 64 bank accounts was estimated at
N34.8m.
The four companies whose assets were forfeited to the Federal
Government are Renaissance University Teaching Hospital; Cosmos
FM; Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, all in Enugu; and
Rainbownet Nigeria Limited.
The companies had on May 19, 2015 been re-arraigned on an
amended 10-count for the various roles they played in the alleged
crime committed by Nnamani.
The EFCC had opted to try them separately from Nnamani and three
others, saying it needed to fast-track their trial so as to prevent their
assets from “being eroded.”
The EFCC, in the amended 10-count filed against the companies,
accused them among other things, of failing to comply with a lawful
enquiry by Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who was then the EFCC’s Director of
Operations.
Lamorde, it was said, had ordered investigation into the complicity of
the four companies in the offences levelled against Nnamani.
The companies had, however, allegedly refused to release their cash
books, fixed assets, various vouchers and cheques to the EFCC
operatives for investigation.
They were also accused of failure to give the breakdown of their trade
creditors and to show the names of their creditors and amounts from
between 2002 and 2006.
The offences, according to the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Kelvin Uzozie,
were punishable under section 38(2) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
Upon reading the 10-count to the four companies on May 19, their
counsel, Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN), pleaded guilty on their behalf.
At the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, Uzozie, while reviewing the
facts of the case, tendered various exhibits, including the schedule of
the companies’ assets, which the court accordingly admitted in
evidence against the accused companies.
The prosecutor thereafter urged the court to “in view of their guilty plea
and all the exhibits tendered before the court, convict the companies in
line with Section 20(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004 and to
make an order forfeiting their properties.”
The trial judge, Yunusa, accordingly convicted the companies.
Though Uzozie prayed the court to pronounce the assets of the
companies forfeited to the government of Enugu State and to allow the
EFCC to be involved in their management, Yunusa, however,
pronounced the assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judge held, “The properties listed in the schedule are hereby
forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria in line with the EFCC
Act.”
Yunusa subsequently adjourned the trial of the remaining accused
persons till November 12, 2015.
They are Nnamani; his erstwhile aide, Sunday Anyaogu; Hillgate Nigeria
Limited; and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.
Source: The punch
Posted by Adebayo A J