A former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waparimo Owei Dudafa and a staff of Heritage Bank, Iwejuo Joseph, accused of laundering the sum of N1.6 billion have discharged and acquitted.
They were facing a 22-count criminal charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Delivering judgement in the matter on Thursday, Justice Idris Mohammed of the Lagos High Court, said the EFCC’s prosecutor failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt in spite of his efforts.
He held that failure to call vital witnesses like ex-president Jonathan, former Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, one Sombre Omoebi, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and members of Anglican Church Otuoke to testify in the case did not help the financial crime’s case.
Besides, justice Idris said the EFCC’s investigation was rushed, indecisive and inconclusive, as the prosecutor based his case on assumption and suspicion rather than legal findings.
He therefore said he found it difficult to convict the defendants, ruling that they were discharged and acquitted.
The defendants had been standing trial since 2016.
