A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, trashed seven of the nine-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Mr. Robert Azibaola.
The court, in a ruling by the trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, also discharged and acquitted Aziboala’s wife, Stella, of all allegations EFCC levelled against her in the charge.
According to Justice Dimgba, he was satisfied that going by the proof of evidence EFCC adduced before the court, the 1st defendant, Aziboala, and his firm, One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, had no case to answer with respect to the seven-count charge that was struck out.
However, the court ordered Jonathan’s cousin and his firm to open their defence to counts two and three of the charge, which borders on allegation that they received $40 million contract from the detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
EFCC had claimed that Aziboala had while being the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and a signatory to the Zenith Bank account of One Plus Holdings Nig Ltd, on or about September 8, 2014, taken possession and converted the $39, 999, 958 out of the $40million, and transferred same to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nig Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No. 5070365750.
In his ruling, Justice Dimgba said: “I, therefore, do not see any evidence of conspiracy to launder any sum of $40 million with Amobi Ovum, who is not a defendant in the charge. If at all any conspiracy to launder funds existed, such a conspiracy would have been between the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, who in any event is not charged as a defendant in the charge.”
