A former Aviation Minister, Sen. Stella Oduah, was finally on Friday arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after three years of delaying her prosecution.
Oduah and eight others are facing a 25- count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The former minister, who served from 2011 to 2014 in the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan administration, is being prosecuted over an alleged laundering of public funds to the tune of N7.9 billion.
Persecondnews reports that the defendants, however, entered a “not guilty” plea.
Oduah, who represented Anambra North in the Senate and her aide were accused by the anti-graft agency for transferring the sum of N1,629,250,000.00 from I-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account No. 2021756955 with First Bank Plc to Global Offshore and Marine Ltd. account No. 2022977296 also domiciled with First Bank, on February 24.
The defendants were also accused of running “anonymous Private Banking Nominee Account No. 2024414450 with First Bank Plc and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 11(4) (a) of the same Act.”
The were also indicted for opening a Dollar account “anonymous Private Banking Nominee Account No. 2024414450 with First Bank Plc and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 11(4) (a) of the same Act.”
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who is trying the case, ordered the EGCC to transfer the case file to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation for a “meticulous prosecution” of the defendants
The case has been adjourned until October 17 for trial.
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