N320m fraud: You’ve case to answer, court tells Reps member

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has 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 Limited 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 N320 million between August 2014 and August 2016.

The lawmaker was arraigned before the court while he was serving as the Chairman of the 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 defense made a no-case submission.

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However, the presiding judge, Justice Giwa Ogunbanjo, while ruling on the no-case submission on Monday, January 22, 2024, told Mutu to enter his defence, ruling that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the lawmaker.

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 has a case to answer, Justice Ogunbanjo adjourned the case till February 21 and 22, 2024.

The Star