The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, arraigned a former staff of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Victor Joseph and one Ahmad Muhhammad Aliyu on five-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N110,000,000.
The defendants were alleged to have fraudulently transferred N110, 000,000.00 from the National Assembly office account between March 27 and April 11 2023, using fictitious transfer instructions.
Count two of the charge reads: That you Victor Joseph being a former staff of the United Bank for Africa, Ahmad Muhammad Aliyu and another now at large, between March and April 2023 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did indirectly take control of an aggregate sum of N110,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Million Naira) which you knew or reasonably ought to know represents proceed of unlawful act to wit; obtaining money by false pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2002 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.
They both pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them, prompting the prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi to urge the court to fix a date for commencement of their trial. Counsel to the first and second defendants, Gbenga Ashowole and Nelem Orji informed the court of a pending bail application for his clients.
Justice Maha thereafter remanded the defendants at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till February 27, 2024 for hearing of the bail applications.
According to the EFCC, the former UBA staff and the other accused person allegedly transferred N110, 000,000.00 fraudulently from the National Assembly office account between March 27 and April 11 2023, using fictitious transfer instructions.
Further investigationsby the anti-graft agency showed that the forged instructions were submitted at the UBA National Assembly Business office, Abuja Branch, for processing and the funds were transferred to various beneficiaries in three banks.
The money was subsequently traced from these three banks to several other beneficiaries who later returned the funds to Joseph that initiated the transactions.