March 31, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has vowed to appeal the ruling by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, quashing the money laundering charges preferred by the Commission against a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu.
This was disclosed on Thursday, in a statement by the Spokesperson of the Anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren.
THEWILL reports that Yakubu was arraigned by the EFCC in March 2017, following the discovery of $9.8million stashed in his property located in the Sabon Tasha Suburb of Kaduna. He had pleaded not guilty upon arraignment.
In the course of trial, the Commission called witnesses and tendered documents in evidence, but the defendant filed a no case submission. Based on the submission, the court struck out two of the six counts. Two further counts were chalked off upon appeal by the defendant, while the appellate court ordered his continued trial on the remaining two counts.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice Mohammed held that the prosecution failed to prove the ingredient of the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Mohammed held that the Commission ought to have investigated the defendant’s claims that the monetary gifts he claimed to have received came from his friends, and tender the recovered cash before the court.
The court consequently discharged and acquitted Yakubu of the alleged fraud.
However, the Commission, according to the statement issued by Uwujaren, claimed that the trial judge erred in dismissing the charge and has resolved to test the ruling at the appellate court.
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