The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that a member of the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu, has a case to answer over a N320 million money laundering case.
The trial judge, Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, on Monday, dismissed the no-case submission filed by the defendant after the prosecution closed its case with four witnesses.
The judge fixed 21 February for him to open his defence, according to a statement issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday
EFCC had charged Mr Mutu alongside Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes, with 13 counts of money laundering and gratification to the tune of N320 million. They allegedly committed the offences between August 2014 and August 2016.
EFCC’s full statement below:
N320m Money Laundering Charge: You Have a Case to Answer- Court Tells Reps
Justice F. Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, January 22, 2024, told a member of the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu that he has a case to answer in an alleged N320 million money laundering case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Mutu alongside Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes, were dragged before the court by the EFCC on an amended 13-count charge bordering on money laundering and gratification to the tune of N320m between August 2014 and August 2016. He was arraigned before the court while he was serving as the Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The prosecution, at the last adjourned date, closed its case after presenting four witnesses, while the defence made a no-case submission.
Justice Ogunbanjo while ruling on the no-case submission on Monday, January 22, 2024, told the defendant to enter his defence, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against Mutu.
The EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, in his objection to the ‘no case submission’ by the defence, argued that the money paid to the defendants by Starline Consultancy, a contractor to NDDC, was gratification.
Iheanacho further told the court that Mutu used his official position, as the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, to influence the payment of money paid by the NDDC contractors, using Airworld Technologies Ltd.
After ruling that Mutu had a case to answer, Justice Ogunbanjo adjourned the case till February 21 and 22, 2024.
