By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The trial of Senator Peter Nwoboshi, a Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Chieftain representing Delta North Senatorial district continued on Tuesday at the Federal High Court Lagos, Nigeria with the Economic and Financial Crimes Cimmission (EFCC) calling its first witness.
Nwoboshi was charged by the EFCC, along with two companies – Golden Touch Construction Projects Ltd and Suiming Electricals, for alleged N322million money laundering.
The commission had re-arraigned Nwoboshi before another judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, on October 5, following the elevatom of the previous trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, to the Court of Appeal.
The Senator had pleaded not guilty on his arraignment before Idris, and also, pleaded not guilty to the charges on his re-arraignment. With his re-arraignment before Justice Aneke, the case started de novo (afresh).
When the case was called on Tuesday, the prosecutor Mr O.A.R Ogunde (SAN), informed the court that the first prosecution witness was in court.
The witness, Mr Prince Kpokpogri, an anti-corruption activist, and Real Estate Manager, who had earlier began his testimony before Justice Idris, mounted the witness box and was led in evidence by the prosecution.
In response to whether he knew all the accused, he confirmed to the court, that he knew all accused in the case,
Testifying before the court, he said that sometime in 2016, he received an anonymous call, in which the caller informed him that he had some document for him,adding that he (caller) left the said document in front of his office door.
He told the court that when he saw the document, he perused it carefully and then wrote to the EFCC for further investigation
When he was shown the letter by the prosecution, he confirmed it as same letter, and the court admitted and marked it as exhibit P1.
After tendering exhibit P1 before the court, prosecution informed the court that he was done with the first witness.
Under cross examination by defence, the witness rebutted the assertion that he had a duty not to expose individuals to unfounded allegations of crime.
When asked if his petition to the EFCC was formed from the document left in his office, he replied “it is from what I saw that I wrote”
When asked on who placed the value for the house at N4.5billion as stated in the petition, the witness replied that he valued the property through the document, as well as through the anonymous caller, adding that he also visited the property.
The defence asked: “So how did you come about another figure of N7.5billion in this document, as the value of the property,”
The witness was silent.
On another question whether he knew before writing his petition, that the said property was sold by the Delta State Government, the witness replied “Yes”
When asked if he wrote to the Delta State Government concerning the said anonymous document before forwarding his petition to the EFCC, he replied:
“I wrote to the office of the then Secretary to State Government (SSG), but there was no response, so I simply sent the petition to the EFCC for them to carry out their investigations,”
Defence counsel then said, “nobody gave you such anonymous information; you thought it out by yourself,”
Witness: “No I did not”
Defence: “Did you ever confront the defendant with this document,”
Witness: ‘No, I did not,”
When the defence asked the witness if he knew one Architect Joseph Ajiri, he replied, “Yes, he is the present Commissioner for Housing in Delta, and one of my Trustees”.
Defence: “Take a look at this document. That is not the face of Ajiri on that passport,”
The witness replied: “That is his picture; he gave me that document in his private office as chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
After the cross-examination, Justice Aneke adjourned the case until November 26 for continuation of trial by 12 noon.
The prosecution alleged that Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects, purchased a 12-storey building property, known as Guinea House, on Marine Road in Apapa, Lagos for N805million between May and June 2014.
The anti-graft agency claimed that N322million out of the N805million was part of proceeds of “an unlawful act of fraud.
The EFCC alleged that the N322million was transferred to the property’s vendor, on the order of Suiming Electricals, which was accused of aiding the accused to commit money laundering on or about May 14, 2014.
The alleged offences contravene the provisions of Sections 15(2)(d) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011..
