NIMASA: How I laundered money for executives – Witness

The trial of former Director General of Nigeria Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi continued today, 17/5/2016, in the Federal High Court Lagos.

At the trial, a witness, the Executive Director Maritime Labour and Cabotage and the Personal Assistant to Akpobolokemi, Ugochukwu Obi made startling admissions. 

He told how the Executive Director Calistus Nwabueze, used his company to siphon money from NIMASA. 

At the last adjourned date, the prosecution produced six witnesses out of which PW3 was stood down thereby leading only five individual witnesses.

Witness

At the resumed hearing today, witness Obi, a Special Assistant to the Executive Director made some admissions.

He disclosed before the court how a company he owns, Knight and Sheriff, was used by his boss Barrister Calistus Nwabueze to launder money.

The laundered monies ran into several millions of naira, to the tune of N61,100,000 (Sixty One Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) between March 4, 2014 and May 7, 2015.

Obi confirmed to the court, his knowledge of the Technical Committee for Ratification of MLS 2006.

He said in the course of his work with Nwabueze, he usually received withdrawal instructions from the boss to withdraw money from the account of the said Committee.

He usually brought back the drawn sum to his boss as directed. 

He explained that on four instances, Calistus had asked him to make withdrawals of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) only on each occasion and paid same into his own account. 

The case was adjourned to 6th and 8th June 2016 for continuation of trial.

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