Money laundering: Ex-Governor Ohakim denies using proxy to acquire N270m Abuja house

Erstwhile governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi
Ohakim, on Wednesday, opened his defence
to the three-count criminal charge the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, preferred against him before the
Federal High Court in Abuja. Ohakim who mounted the box and testified
before trial Justice Ademola Adeniyi as the
first defence witness, DW-1, denied allegation
that he used one Abu Sule as proxy to acquire
a N270million mansion in Abuja. EFCC alleged that Ohakim purchased the
property at No 60 Kwame Nkrumah Street,
Plot No 1098, Cadastral ZoneA04, Asokoro
District, Abuja, with cash payment of $2.29
which was said to be dollar equivalent of
N270m in November 2008. The property, according to the agency, was
acquired with funds the defendant allegedly
laundered from Imo state treasury. He was also accused of failing to declare the
property as part of his assets when asked by
the EFCC to do so. The prosecution said the erstwhile governor
violated section 15(1)(d) and section 14(1)(b)
of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act,
2004. Nevertheless, Ohakim, who earlier pleaded
not guilty to the charge, while testifying on
Wednesday, denied the allegations. Led in evidence by his lawyer, Chief Awa
Kalu, SAN, Ohakim said: “My lord I never
used anyone as proxy to acquire a property;
I never pressured him to buy a property for
me in his (Sule’s) name and I did not
provide him with any cash”.

Sule who was a Managing Director with
Tweeenex Consociate H.D, had earlier
testified before the court as the second
principal witness. He told the court that the defendant had in
2012, engaged his company to find a house
for him to buy in Abuja, even as he addmitted
helping the ex-governor to acquire the
property with the name of his firm. However, Ohakim in his testimony, refuted
Sule’s claim, saying, “I did not engage in
any dollar transaction with anyone to
purchase properties for me. “There was no point in time that I invited
any Sule to my residence and I never gave
out money to him in Ghana must go bags. I
never conspired with anybody to steal or
launder money for me”. He also denied concealing information about
his personal assets. “I did not hide any information, I did not
conceal any of my properties in the course of
filing my assets declaration forms; I
couldn’t have declared properties which do
not belong to me”, he added. Meanwhile, the prosecution counsel, Mr.
Festus Okpe prayed the court for an
adjournment to enable him prepare
adequately to cross examine the former
governor. Justice Ademola subsequently adjourned the
matter till October 23 for continuation of
hearing.