The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to hand over the case file of former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, to the Ministry of Justice.
Lead Counsel to Senator Oduah, Mr. Ogwu Onoja, SAN, disclosed this in court on Monday during hearing.
Mr. Onoja informed the court that the AGF made the call following a petition dated February 4 tendered by the Counsel on behalf of the Defendant.
According the Learned Counsel, Malami demanded Oduah’s case file as some people are allegedly using the agency to persecute her.
He argued that it would not be proper for the court to proceed with the arraignment, when the EFCC is yet to respond to the AGF’s request.
While tendering a copy of the said petition to the court, Onoja said:
“My lord, we are of the strongest view that plea cannot be taken on this matter.
“There was a petition written to the Attorney General of the Federation which is a complaint made against this prosecution.
“That was because we found out that this trial was a persecution, and we got a response from the AGF.
“The AGF requested for the file, but up till now, the EFCC has refused to send the case file to the AGF.
“This case is a matter of persecution and not prosecution. Based on that, we have an objection that this plea cannot be taken.
“I have a certified true copy of the letter the AGF wrote to the EFCC,” Onoja added.
EFCC had, in the case, alleged that Oduah and other Defendants in the case, Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd and Sobora International Ltd., in February 2014, used their positions to transfer the sum of N1,629,250,000.00 from I-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account No. 2021756955 with First Bank Plc, to Global Offshore and Marine Ltd account No. 2022977296 also domiciled with First Bank Plc, which money they reasonably ought to have known that it formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.
The court adjourned the case to February 10 for further hearing.
Senator Oduah, it could be recalled, served as Aviation Minister from 2011 to 2014 and is currently the Senator representing Anambra North.
She is facing a 25-count charge of money laundering proferred by the EFCC against her and eight others.