The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on February 18, 2021
\nclosed its case against a former President of the Nigerian Bar
\nAssociation, NBA, Paul Usoro, SAN who is standing trial before Justice
\nRilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos for an alleged
\nN1.4billion fraud.<\/p>\n
The EFCC charged Usoro with a 10-count charge bordering on money
\nlaundering.<\/p>\n
He was first arraigned on December 18, 2018 before Justice Muslim Hassan
\nof the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos and was later re-arraigned on
\nMarch 1, 2019 before Justice Aikawa.<\/p>\n
One of the counts reads: “That you, Paul Usoro, SAN, Emmanuel Udom
\n(currently constitutionally immune against criminal prosecution),
\nUwemedimo Thomas Nwoko (still at large), Nsikan Linus Nkan, Commissioner
\nof Finance, Akwa Ibom State (still at large), Mfon Jacobson Udomah,
\nAccountant-General, Akwa Ibom State (still at large) and Margaret
\nThompson Ukpe (still at large), sometime in 2015 in Nigeria, within the
\njurisdiction of this Honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to
\ncommit an offence, to wit: conversion of the sum of N1,410,000,000.00
\n(One Billion, Four Hundred and Ten Million Naira), property of the
\nGovernment of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, which sum you reasonably ought
\nto have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit:
\ncriminal breach of trust and thereby committed an offence contrary to
\nSection 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended
\nand punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”<\/p>\n
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against him.<\/p>\n
At Thursday’s sitting, prosecuting counsel, Uduak Kufre after presenting
\nthe last witness, told the Court that the prosecution was pleased with
\nthe evidence it has presented before the Court against the defendant.<\/p>\n
Responding, lead defence counsel, Effiong O. Effiong, SAN, informed the
\ncourt of the defendant’s intention to file a no-case submission.<\/p>\n
Justice Aikawa, thereafter, adjourned till March 12, 2021 for adoption
\nof the no-case submission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on February 18, 2021 closed its case against a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Paul Usoro, SAN who is standing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":78645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n