A former banker, Victor Joseph, is facing charges before Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, for allegedly transferring funds from the account of the National Assembly through dubious means.
Joseph was on Monday arraigned alongside one Ahmad Aliyu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after they allegedly transferred the sum of N110m from National Assembly’s account between March 27 and April 11, 2023.
According to EFCC, they transferred the funds using fictitious transfer instructions.
Investigations by the anti-graft agency showed that the forged instructions were submitted at the UBA business office in the National Assembly for processing.
The funds were allegedly transferred to various beneficiaries in three banks, and were traced from the three banks to several other beneficiaries who later returned the funds to Joseph that initiated the transactions.
The defendants were arraigned on five-count charges bordering on money laundering.
Count two of the charge read: “That you, Victor Joseph, being a former staff of the United Bank for Africa, Ahmad Muhammad Aliyu and another now at large, between March and April 2023 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did indirectly take control of an aggregate sum of N110,000,000.00 which you knew or reasonably ought to know represents proceed of unlawful act to wit; obtaining money by false pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2002 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
When charges were read to them, both defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting the prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi, to seek commencement of trial.
However, counsels to the first and second defendants, Gbenga Ashowole and Nelem Orji, informed the court of applications for bail for their clients.
The defendants were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, and the matter was adjourned till February 27, 2024 for hearing of bail applications.
Banker Fraudulently Moves N110m Out Of National Assembly’s Account, Sent To Kuje Prison is first published on The Whistler Newspaper