FRAUD CHARGE: COURT STRIKES OUT ENUGU EX-PERMSEC NAME

By Innocent Anaba
LAGOS- A  Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, struck out the name of the former Permanent Secretary in the Enugu State Civil Service, Mrs Sylvia Onwuebemeli, from the fraud charge against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

She was charged alongside former Governor of Enugu State, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani, his company and  nine others. Her name was struck out on the ground that the prosecution did not have enough evidence linking her to the alleged crime.

Trial judge, Justice Charles Archibong, in his ruling on Onwuebemeli's application, praying the court to strike out her name, held that she has no case to answer and that the charge against her was not known to law.

The court also discharged her and acquitted her, holding that the EFCC  2004 Act upon which she was being tried for money laundering  cannot be applied retrogressively.

Mrs  Onwuebemeli, it will be recalled, was  re-arraigned by the EFCC with Sen  Nnamani,  and 10 others  on a 124-counts charge of alleged money laundering and economic crime to the tune of about N5 billion.