Surprise as EFCC charges NBA president with alleged N1.4bn fraud

– The EFCC has charged the president of the NBA with an alleged fraud of N1.4bn

– The anti-graft agency alleged that Usoro converted and laundered the money in connivance with the governor of his state, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom

– The presiding judge has fixed December 10, 2018 for the arraignment of the NBA president

The president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro (SAN), has been charged with an alleged fraud of N1.4bn by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The NBA boss was charged before Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Punch reports.

TrackNews gathers that in the charge sheet marked FHC/418c/18, the anti-graft agency alleged that Usoro converted and laundered the money in connivance with the governor of his state, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.

The EFCC, however, noted that Emmanuel is “currently constitutionally immune against criminal prosecution” and did not list him on the sheet.

The Akwa Ibom state commissioner for finance, Nsikan Nkan; the state’s accountant general, Mfon Udomah; and the state’s attorney general, Margaret Ukpe, were also mentioned in the body of charges. However, the three individuals were said to be at large.

According to the EFCC, Usoro and the other individuals connived to commit the offence sometime in 2015 “within the jurisdiction of this honourable court”.

The anti-graft agency claimed that the N1.4bn allegedly converted and laundered by the defendants belonged to the Akwa Ibom state government.

The charge sheet was signed by the EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, who stated that the offence allegedly committed by the NBA president was contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

He added that Usoro is liable to be punished under Section 15(3) of the same act.

The judge has fixed December 10, 2018 for the arraignment of the NBA president.

Meanwhile, TrackNews previously reported that Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleged that some senior advocates of Nigeria had been frustrating the anti-graft war by helping in the distribution of the proceeds of crime.

Magu said a particular SAN, whose identity he left unrevealed, received N1.7bn as legal fees from a corrupt politician.

He said the same SAN received N300m from a governor in the south-south as legal fees for an election petition case and failed to pay tax but quickly took advantage of the Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) when he realised he was under probe.