Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday struck out a N22.8 billion fraud charge against former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall, Adesola Amosu, and two other Air Force Chiefs.
Justice Aneke set the military officers free while delivering rulings on their separate preliminary objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction to try them for the alleged crime.
The court held that Amosu and his co-defendants, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, could not be try the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because they were serving military officers at the time the alleged crime was committed.
LEADERSHIP reports that Air Marshal Amosu was appointed Chief of Air Staff (CAS) on January 16, 2014, and he was removed from the post on July 13, 2015, 12 months before his arraignment in court.
The defendants were first arraigned before Justice Mohammed Idris on June 29, 2016, by the EFCC and seven companies.
Companies named in the charge are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd.
The EFCC accused them of conspiracy, stealing, money laundering, concealing of crime proceeds and converting funds belonging to the Nigerian Airforce to their personal use around March 5, 2014, in Lagos.
They were also accused of concealing “proceeds of crime” and thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).
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