Four companies: Rainbownet Nigeria Limited,
Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited and Renaissance University
Teaching Hospital, allegedly associated with the former governor of Enugu
State, Chimaroke Nnamani, today May 19, 2015 pleaded guilty to a 10-count
amended charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC at the Federal High Court, Lagos presided over by Justice
Mohammed Yinusa. The companies are alleged to have failed to comply with lawful
inquiry made by the Commission.
At today’s sitting, counsel to the companies,
Ricky Tarfa, SAN pleaded guilty to the 10-count charge when it was read to him.
In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Kelvin Uzozie asked the court to
fix a date for proof and review of facts and for sentencing. Justice Yinusa
consequently adjourned proceedings to May 27, 2015.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you
Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, between February and March 2007 within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court failed to comply with the lawful inquiry
of Ibrahim Lamorde, Director of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission on behalf of the Commission on this opening statement of affairs of
Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, from inception to February 2007 and you thereby
committed an offence punishable under Section 38(2) of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004.”
Another count reads: “That you Cosmos FM between
February and March 2007 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court failed
to comply with the lawful inquiry of Ibrahim Lamorde, Director of Operations of
the Economic and Financial Crimes on behalf of the Commission on the audited
account of Cosmos FM, for the periods ended 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 and you
thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 38 (2) of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004
The
EFCC in 2014 sought for a separate trial of the companies which were previously
arraigned alongside Nnamani in a N5 billion money laundering case in 2007.
EFCC
counsel, Kelvin Uzozie told the court that the matter had been stalled
severally on account of Nnamani’s frequent applications to travel abroad for
medical treatment on grounds of ill-health
Nnamani was first arraigned before Justice
Tijani Abubakar in 2007. The ex-governor
was docked alongside Sunday Anyaogu, his then aide and six firms linked to
them: Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmos FM, Capital
City Automobile Nigeria Limited, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and
Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.
The case was re-assigned to Justice Charles Archibong
following the transfer of Justice Abubakar, now of the Appeal Court, out of the
Lagos division of the federal high court. Again, the case was re-assigned to Justice
Yinusa, after Justice Archibong (now retired) was also transferred out of the
Lagos division of the court. According to the charge, Nnamani conspired with
other accused persons to launder funds from the state treasury, especially
monies meant for the local government areas of Enugu state.
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