The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a former staff of United Bank for Africa, UBA, Victor Joseph and one Ahmad Aliyu for money laundering to the tune of N110million.
The defendants were arraigned on five-count charges bordering on money laundering before Justice N. Maha of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Count two of the charge reads ‘that you Victor Joseph being a former staff of the United Bank for Africa, Ahmad Aliyu and another now at large, between March and April 2023 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of this court, did indirectly take control of an aggregate sum of N110million, 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.
When the charges were read to them, the defendants pleaded not guilty, following which the prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi asked the court for a trial date.
Counsel to the first and second defendants, Gbenga Ashowole and Nelem Orji informed the court of applications for bail for their clients.
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Justice Maha, thereafter, remanded the defendants at the Kuje prison and adjourned the matter till February 27, 2024, for hearing of bail applications.
The defendants were docked for allegedly transferring N110million fraudulently from the National Assembly office account between March 27 and April 11, 2023, using fictitious transfer instructions.
Further investigations 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 traced from these three banks to several other beneficiaries who later returned the funds to Joseph that initiated the transactions.
