Feb.17, 2010
Trial of the former governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani was yesterday stalled due to the transfer of the trial judge, Justice Tijani Abubakar who will soon relocate to the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court.
Nnamani is standing trial before the judge on a 124-count charge alongside six other persons as well as six companies over alleged money laundering and other alleged corrupt practices that made the state to lose about N5.4 billion of its funds during his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007.
Justice Abubakar had fixed yesterday for hearing an application filed by Nnamani challenging the basis of the charge of corruption for which he is standing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in which he is asking the court to quash the charge.
When the case came for hearing yesterday, Justice Abubakar explained that it would be a waste of time to commence the hearing in view of the fact that he would not be on hand to rule on the application as he had been transferred to Port Harcourt and would need to resume there shortly.
Following no objections from counsels, the court had adjourned the matter to April 26 for mention.
Also slated for hearing yesterday was an application filed by Nnamani's former Permanent Secretary in the state, Mrs. Sylvia Onwuebemeli, who is praying the court to have her name struck out of the charge, claiming that there is no prima facie case made out against her in the charge.
Daily Champion recalls that Nnamani is challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to try him on the alleged money laundering charge.
His counsel, Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN) hinged the application on the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, which held that the Federal High Court in Kaduna lacked the jurisdiction to try ex- Governor James Ibori.
Also, Mrs. Onwuebemeli had in her motion on notice brought before Justice Abubakar argued that the proof of evidence filed by the EFCC did not support the allegations against her, saying that there was no link between her and the counts within the charge of money laundering.
The other accused persons standing trial with Nnamani include the former state Commissioner for Finance, Peter Mbah, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Sam Ejiofor and a consultant to the state government, Victor Udeh, Sunday Anyaogu and Onwuebemeli.
Six firms linked to the ex-governor are also being prosecuted. They are: Rainbownet Nig Ltd, Hillgate Nig Ltd, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.