Fg Tells Court How Justice Ngwuta Hid N27m Cash, Luxury Vehicles
BEVERLY HILLS, November 22, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja how N27million was found in the bathroom of embattled Supreme Court Justice, Sylvester Ngwuta, adding that three exotic vehicles were also recovered from his private residence in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The prosecution counsel, Charles Adeogun-Philips told the Justice John Tsoho-led court that the vehicles namely: one Hummer Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, one Wrangler SUV, one BMW 5 Series Sedan, were initially concealed by one Nwamba Linus Chukwuebuka on the alleged instructions of Justice Ngwuta.
He added that the defendant, on October 9, 2016, tampered with evidence likely to incriminate him while on bail – following his arrest by the operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, on corruption allegations between October 7 and 8.
The prosecution counsel, while opposing the bail application by Ngwuta's lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi SAN, alleged that after he was granted administrative bail by the DSS in Abuja on November 9, 2016, he made a call to someone in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to move the sum of N27m cash and three exotic cars to some other locations in order to conceal them.
Adeogun-Philips said Ngwuta, who is standing trial on a 16-count charge including money laundering and offences relating to obtaining of multiple passports, had four international passports, had two diplomatic D5000087 D00004598 and two standard passports with Nos. A4389985 and D5000087, which he was using concurrently.
The justice of the apex court was allowed to sit in the dock, but he stood up to plead not guilty when the charges were read to him on Monday morning. He was granted bail after pleading not guilty to the 16-count criminal charge.
Despite the prosecution's opposition to the bail, the judge returned from about two-hour break to grant bail to the Justice of the Supreme Court in the sum of N100m to be guaranteed by his status as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Justice Tsoho went on to fix commencement of trial for December 7 and 8 after dismissing as baseless the fear expressed by the prosecution about the possibility of the defendant interfering with evidence and evading trial.