The Federal High Court, sitting at Umuahia, Abia State, has remanded 3
\nstaff of the State Ministry of Finance, at the Afara Prisons, over
\nalleged salary padding and money laundering.<\/p>\n
The four suspects; Mrs. Charity Nneoma Ukaonu, Idika Kalu and Uche
\nUdeachara, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes
\nCommission, EFCC following a petition bothering on alleged financial
\nmisconducts against some staff of the Ministry of Finance. A lawyer, Guy
\nOkite had petitioned the EFCC\u00a0 over the matter.<\/p>\n
Sources said the anti graft agency had invited some staff of the
\nMinistry of Finance to answer to the allegations of salary padding and
\nmoney laundering. Those invited include the former Commissioner for
\nFinance Mr. Obinna Oriaku, who was detained and later released.<\/p>\n
After the investigation, the EFCC was said to have cleared\u00a0 Oriaku of
\nculpability in the alleged crime while Mrs. Charity Nneoma Ukaonu, Idika
\nKalu and Uche Udeachara , were arraigned on an 11 count charge.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Charity Nneoma Ukaonu was slammed with a 4 count charge of money
\nlaundering and salary padding of about N2m, a 5 count charge was placed
\non Uche Udeachara for salary padding and money laundering of about
\nN4.5m, while Idika Kalu was accused of salary padding and money
\nlaundering of about N600, 000.<\/p>\n
Some huge amount was allegedly traced to the account of Udeachara’s two
\nchildren who are still minors.<\/p>\n
The defense counsel for the accused, D. O Uruakpa sought bail through a
\nmotion for his clients, but the prosecuting counsel, C.O Ugwu argued
\nthat he has just been served the motion for bail and needs time to
\nreply.<\/p>\n
The presiding judge ruled that the accused persons should be remanded at
\nthe Afara Prison till November 11th for hearing on their bail
\napplication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Federal High Court, sitting at Umuahia, Abia State, has remanded 3 staff of the State Ministry of Finance, at the Afara Prisons, over alleged salary padding and money laundering.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n