Jonathan’s ex-aide loses bid to quash fraud charge

Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Lagos, on August 6 dismissed a no-case submission filed by a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa.
Mr. Dudafa is facing trial alongside one Iwejuo Joseph Nna on a 23-three count charge on money laundering, failure to declare assets and conspiracy to conceal proceeds of crime to the tune of over N1.6 billion.
The defendants were said to have allegedly concealed N1.6 billion through a company, Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, an offence contrary to section 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) (amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under section 17(a) of the same law.
They were also accused of knowingly concealing proceeds of crime through Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited in the sum of N399,470,000.00, among other alleged criminal offences.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them, thereby setting the stage for their full trial.
The prosecution, after presenting witnesses and tendering documents that were admitted in evidence by the court, had closed its case against the defendants on March 16, 2018.
However, at the resumed hearing on June 19, 2018, counsel to the first defendant, Gboyega Oyewole, told the court that the prosecution had failed to establish a primafacie case against his client.
He had also told the court that the first defendant had stated before the court the source and ownership of the monies found in his possession, adding that “the owner of the monies should be questioned and not Mr. Dudafa.” Also, counsel to the second defendant, Ige Asemudara, had told the court that there was no evidence that his client had committed any of the charges preferred against him by the prosecution.
“There is no evidence that shows that the monies were paid into the personal account of the second defendant and the EFCC has not given evidence that those properties were acquired by his client with proceeds of crime,” Mr Asemudara had said.