Following the amendment of charges to 11 counts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, re-arraigned former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, and a former Commissioner of Finance in the state, Omodachi Okolobia.at the Federal High Court in Abuja
Suswam ruled Benue state from 2007 to 2015 was alleged to have laundered public funds totalling about N3.1billion.
The second defendant, Okolobia, allegedly transacted a total sum of N578million in four tranches, in excess of the threshold of cash transactions permitted by the money laundering law.
He was said to have committed the offences between December 2014 and January 2015 but the two pleaded not guilty to the amended charge before trial Justice Ahmed Mohammed.
The court allowed the Defendants to go home on the bail conditions that were previously handed to them and the case has subsequently adjourned to December 15.
EFCC had in 2015, charged Suswam who is currently representing Benue North-East in the Senate and his erstwhile Commissioner of Finance, Okolobia, over the allegation that they looted proceeds shares owned by the Benue State government and Benue Investment and Property Company Ltd.
Trial Justice Mohammed initially withdrew from the case over media publications that alleged that he was compromised by the Defendants to grant them a soft landing.
Though the case-file was eventually transferred to Justice Okon Abang, however, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in a judgement on February 19, ordered Justice Mohammed who had already heard the testimony of four witnesses, to resume hearing on the case.
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