Alleged $12m Fraud: Courtroom To Rule Oct 16 On Whether or not SunTrust Bank MD Can Cross-Study EFCC Witness

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja, has fastened October 16 for ruling on whether or not the Managing Director of SunTrust Bank, Halima Buba, can cross-examine a witness of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) on points raised throughout his evidence-in-chief.

The decide adjourned the matter on Monday following an objection by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, counsel to the EFCC, in opposition to a query posed by Johnson Usman, SAN, who’s representing Buba within the ongoing cash laundering trial.

Usman, throughout cross-examination of Suleiman Ciroma, proprietor of Funnacle BDC Ltd and the primary prosecution witness (PW1), requested him to verify the identities of people who collected the U.S. {dollars} from Mrs. Aisha Achimugu, Managing Director of Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gasoline Ltd.

Earlier, Ciroma confirmed that Hassan Dantani is the MD/CEO of Ashrap Vitality Oil Ltd and that Trimisi Mohammed Usman is the director of each Triple A and D Nig. Ltd and Triple A and D BDC Ltd.

Nonetheless, when Usman requested Ciroma to verify that Dantani and Trimisi have been those who collected the funds from Mrs. Achimugu, Oyedepo objected, arguing that the query was irrelevant to the info in difficulty.

In line with Oyedepo, the case earlier than the court docket issues Ashrap Vitality Oil Companies Ltd, not Ashrap BDC, which the defence launched within the cross-examination. He careworn that though each entities share the identify “Ashrap,” they’re legally distinct, and the defence was making an attempt to introduce extraneous info.

“The case of the prosecution is that the transactions, which exceeded the authorized money threshold, have been performed with out passing via monetary establishments, opposite to Sections 2(1), 19(1)(d), and 21(a) of the Cash Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act,” Oyedepo acknowledged.

He additional argued that Bureau De Change operators, although recognised as authorised sellers, fall beneath the definition of monetary establishments within the Act, and due to this fact, the defence’s line of questioning was deceptive and irrelevant.

In response, Usman maintained that the prosecution’s objection was an try to forestall the defendants from absolutely defending themselves. Citing Sections 215(2) and 223 of the Proof Act, he argued that cross-examination is just not confined to points raised in examination-in-chief, so long as it pertains to related info.

He additionally identified that Ciroma, throughout his evidence-in-chief, had already talked about Dantani and Trimisi as those that collected the funds from Mrs. Achimugu, making the query legitimate and related.

“I urge my lord to overrule the objection and direct the witness to reply the query,” Usman submitted.

Justice Nwite thereafter adjourned the case till October 16 and 17 for ruling and continuation of trial.

Buba and Harmless Mbagwu, Govt Director/Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank, are dealing with a six-count cost of cash laundering to the tune of $12 million. They’re accused of aiding high-value money transactions with out channeling them via a monetary establishment, opposite to the Cash Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The defendants, who pleaded not responsible on June 13, have been granted N100 million bail every, with one surety in like sum.