The arraignment of a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla and eight others on charges of money laundering involving diversion of N2billion from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, earlier slated for today was again stalled following the absence of the first defendant (Otunla) in court.
The arraignment, which was initially slated for December 7, 2017 was rescheduled to Monday, Jan. 22 as Otunla was not in court to take his plea.
He is to be arraigned alongside Otunba Ade Adelakun and seven other companies before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The companies are Gold Reef Industries Limited, Lambster Nigeria Limited, G.C Electronics Limited, Sinmilak Nigeria Limited, Wehsac Farms Limited, Stepherded Field Global Resources Limited and Stellavera Development Company Limited.
When the case was called, Otunla was again not in court, but was represented by his counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN. Only the second defendant, Otunba Ade Adelakun was in the dock.
Raji told the court that his client was away “for medical treatment abroad” and so asked for more time.
Justice Dimgba gave a stand down for counsels to agree on a date to return to court and by agreement of the counsels, the matter was adjourned to February 27, 2018 for possible arraignment.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla being the former Accountant General of the Federation and a Director and signatory to the ECOBANK account of WEHSAC FARM LTD, Otunba Ade Adelakun, being the Managing Director/Chief Executive officer and a signatory to the accounts of Goldreef industries Nigeria Limited Fidelity Bank, Lambster Nigeria Limited- Zenith Bank, G.C Electronics Ltd – GTB and Sinmilak Nigeria Limited- Fidelity Account, Col Bello Fadile (now at large) being the former Director, Special Duties in the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and also a Director and signatory to the accounts of Helpline Organisation- Diamond Bank and Justice and Peace Consultants- GTB, sometime between June and August, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly converted the sum of N2,000,000,000 transferred to the accounts of Goldreef industries Limited-Fidelity Bank (N550 Million), Lambster Nigeria Limited- Zenith Bank (N650 Million) , G.C Electronics Limited – GTB (N450 Million) and Sinmilak Nigeria Limited- Fidelity Account (N350 Million) from the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria purporting to be for the supply of security equipments when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) the then National Security Adviser (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the same Act”.