The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned an Ebonyi State government official, Obasi Nicholas Sunday, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki over alleged money laundering involving structured cash withdrawals amounting to N61 million.
According to the Commission, the defendant — a staff member in the Office of the Accountant-General of Ebonyi State and a signatory to the state government’s shopping mall account domiciled with United Bank for Africa (UBA) — allegedly carried out multiple cash transactions in tranches designed to evade mandatory reporting requirements under the law.
The defendant was arraigned on Thursday before Honourable Justice H. I. O. Oshomah of Federal High Court 1, Abakaliki, on a two-count charge filed by the Commission in Charge No: FHC/A1/6C/25.
According to the charge, the defendant allegedly made a cash withdrawal totalling N61,000,000.00 (Sixty-One Million Naira) from the said government account in August 2020, in six tranches of N10,000,000.00 and an additional N1,000,000.00, with the intent to avoid the duty of reporting the transaction.
The Commission further alleged that the defendant, within the same period, made a cash deposit of N60,941,725.00 into the UBA account of one Ikechukwu Obiukwu, a contractor to the Ebonyi State Government, also in structured instalments of N10,000,000.00 and N941,725.00, with the intent to evade statutory reporting obligations.
The offences are said to be contrary to Section 19(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Upon his arraignment, the defendant pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Counsel to the ICPC, Mr. Agbili Ezenwa Kingsley, thereafter applied for a date for commencement of trial, while Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Michael Ngwu, moved for the bail application on behalf of his client, which was not opposed to by the Prosecution.
The defendant was granted bail by the court on the following terms:
- The defendant admitted to bail to the sum of N10 million naira bond.
- A Surety, who must be the Accountant-General of the state.
- The Surety must sign an undertaking to ensure he produces the defendant in court with two recent passport photographs attached to it.
- The defendant must sign an undertaking to always be in court with two recent passport photographs attached to it.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to the 24th and 25th of March for the commencement of the hearing.
