The plan by Rep. Nicolas Mutu (Delta-PDP) to open his defense on Wednesday in the alleged N320 million money laundering charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) suffered setbacks at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The matter, which was listed as number one on the cause list before Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, could not proceed due to the illness of Mutu’s counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had, in the 13-count amended charge, sued Mutu along with Airworld Technologies Ltd. and Oyien Homes Ltd. as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.
In the second amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/123/2019, dated Nov. 22, 2021, and filed on November 23, 2021, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the counts.
Mutu was alleged to have committed the alleged offences between Aug. 2014 and Aug. 2016, when he served as the chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
In the charge, he was accused of procuring “Airworld Technologies Ltd. to conceal the sum of N320,159,689.63 to be paid by Starline Consultancy Services Ltd.” when he ought to have known that the said sum formed part of the proceeds of corruption, gratification, and fraudulent acquisition of property.
When the matter was called on Wednesday, Mutu, who represents Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta, was in court, but his lawyer, Ikwueto, was conspicuously absent, and no lawyer represented him in the courtroom.
However, counsel for the second defendant, J.O. Asoluga, SAN, was in court.
The EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the defendants to enter their defense but that he was in receipt of a letter earlier in the morning from Ikwueto, who had been appearing for Mutu and the third defendant, that he was indisposed.
Iheanacho said in the letter that a medical report from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital was also attached.
The lawyer said Ikwueto, in the letter, sought an adjournment of the case and also for the court to vacate tomorrow’s (Feb. 22) date to enable him to attend to his health.
Iheanacho said he would reluctantly concede to adjournment on the grounds of illness.
He, however, felt bad that the two days scheduled for the trial would be vacated even when the court had deliberately listed only two matters on the course list to enable the case to progress since the judge comes from outside jurisdiction.
Counsel for the 2nd defendant, J.O. Asoluga, SAN, said he had no objection to the application for adjournment.
Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo consequently adjourned the matter until March 20 and March 21 for the defendants to open their defense.
NAN reports that the judge had, on Jan. 22, fixed Feb. 21 and Feb. 22 for Mutu to open his defense after his no-case submission was dismissed by the court.
Giwa-Ogunbanjo, in a ruling, directed Mutu and his co-defendants to enter their defense as they have a case to answer in respect of the allegations made against them.(NAN)
