Orosanye was alleged to have taken undue advantage of his office to receive N190million, part of a N240million grant for the committee by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and converted same to personal use.

The prosecution had after calling six witnesses closed its case setting the stage for Oronsaye to enter his defence.

Rather than enter his defence, Oronsaye, through his counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, on December 9, 2016 filed a no-case submission urging the court to strke out the charges on the grounds that they are defective and lacks essential elements required to prosecute the defendant.

Agabi stated that the prosecution neither specified the amount that was entrusted to the defendant, nor the mandate of the committee he chaired.

The learned silk contended that there was no proven offence by the prosecution to warrant the defendant to enter defence.

In his counter argument, the prosecuting counsel, Offem Uket, told the court that the prosecution had proved its case.

According to him, the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendant as to warrant his defence.

Uket believed that it was not right to bring up the issue of imperfection of charges at this stage, as it was against the provisions of Sections 220 and 221 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA), 2015.

He, therefore, urged the court to refuse the no-case submission by the defence.

Ruling on the application Tuesday, Justice Goodluck held that, “the prosecution has not put anything before the court to justify the charges for which the defendant is being tried”. He consequently, discharged the accused “of the 7-count charge against him”.

However, the Commission believes the trial judge erred in his ruling and will approach the appeal court to set aside the ruling.

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Oronsaye, a former Chairman of the PCFATF is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a two-count charge bordering on abuse of office and obtaining by false pretence before Justice Olasumbo Goodluck.

The former Head of Service, HoS, is alleged to have used the account to receive N190 million, part of a N240million grant for the committee, received from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and converted same for personal use.

Arabi, who testified as the third prosecution witness, further told the court that the only legitimate account of the committee was domiciled in Zenith Bank.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Offem Uket, he added that the beneficiaries of a total sum of N63 million in the Access Bank account, were not members of the committee neither did they perform any task for the committee or on its behalf.

“The committee opened an account with Zenith Bank, and there are two signatories, myself as the secretary, and Oronsaye as the chairman. Since 2009 till date, the committee only maintained the Zenith Bank account and we had only three inflows into it,” he said.

He further told the court that he only got to know about the existence of the Access Bank account in July 2015 when he was summoned by the EFCC to answer questions concerning it.

Earlier during the court proceeding, Olubunmi Ojoko, the second prosecution witness, and a staff of Access Bank told the court that Orosanye issued cheques to various beneficiaries to withdraw from the said Access Bank account.

Justice Goodluck has fixed May 19 and 20 2016 for continuation of trial.

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Oronsaye is being prosecuted on a two-count charge of abuse of office and obtaining by false pretence preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice O. O. Goodluck of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.

As the Chairman of the PCFATF, Oronsaye, allegedly converted the total sum of N190 million belonging to the Committee to personal use by fixing the said sum in personal account in Access bank.

At an earlier sitting on March 15, 2016, the EFCC presented its first witness, Ngunan Kakwagh, an operative of the EFCC, who told the court how Oronsaye, opened an account in Access Bank Plc in the name of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force, into which he received funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and converted a total sum of N190 million to personal use by investing the said sum in various fixed deposit accounts.

After the PW1’s testimony, the defence, represented by Joe Agi, SAN, sought leave of the court to move his pending bail application and allow for an adjournment to continue cross examination of the witness.

Justice Goodluck granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum, both residents of FCT at the level of directors in the civil service or government establishments, either serving or retired.

Thereafter, the matter was adjourned to April 13 and 14, 2016 for continuation of trial.

At the resumed hearing Wednesday, Kakwagh under cross-examination, maintained that Oronsaye invested the funds of the Committee in a fixed deposit account contrary to the circular issued by the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, which only allowed government’s idle funds to be invested in treasury bills.

The EFCC also presented another witness, Olubunmi Ojoko, a staff of Access Bank Plc and Account Officer of the defendant, who gave a shocking revelation on how Oronsaye opened an account with Access Bank Plc in the name of Presidential Committee on Financial Action task Force without a mandate from the AGF.

Ojoko told the court that Oronsaye, in addition to investing the sum of N190m in fixed deposits, made personal withdrawals at different times to the tune of N33.9 million.

She further stated that, he (Oronsaye) issued cheques to several beneficiaries who withdrew from the account.

After listening to the testimony of Ojoko, the defence counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, asked for adjournment till the next day to allow him time to study the proof of evidence already admitted as exhibit by court to enable him cross examine the witness.

Justice Goodluck adjourned to April 14, 2016 for continuation of trial.

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The rearrest came about eight months after a federal court in Abuja ordered him released from detention after he was docked for alleged N6.2 billion fraud.

EFCC sources said Oronsaye was picked up from his Abuja residence at about 4.30 pm Tuesday concerning a different case.

The ex-HoS who is already being prosecuted by the EFCC on 24-count charge of money laundering before a Federal High Court, Abuja, is alleged to have abused his position as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and obtained a sum of N240 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria in the guise of assistance to the Committee without the knowledge of other committee members and proceeded to convert the said sum to his personal use.

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