EFCC Loses Another High-Profile Case As Supreme Court Frees Peter Nwaoboshi In Fraud Case

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, finally lost at the Supreme Court following a final verdict on Friday that set aside the judgement of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal which convicted Senator Peter Nwaoboshi for fraud and money laundering charges as instituted by the anti-graft agency.

THE WHISTLER reported that on June 2022, the lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment by the appellate court.

The appellate court, while faulting a lower court’s decision, also ordered that Nwaoboshi’s two companies – Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd – should be wounding up.

The appeal was entered after Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of Federal High Court had on June 18, 2021 discharged and acquitted him of the offenses.

The EFCC had arraigned the senator and two others before Justice Aneke over their alleged fraudulent acquisition of a property named Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa, Lagos, for N805 million.

But Justice Aneke had quashed the charges, saying that the prosecution failed to call vital witnesses and tender concrete evidence to substantiate its allegation that the defendants fraudulently purchased the properties.

However, the Court of Appeal held that the trial judge erred in dismissing the charges against the respondents, adding that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The development forced the lawmaker to approach the Supreme Court.

On Friday, the apex court in a majority decision (4-1) held that the affected properties for which the lawmaker was prosecuted by the EFCC were acquired through a civil transaction.

It held that there was no evidence before it to prove that the acquisition was fraudulently carried out.

The court subsequently quashed the appellate court’s judgement, thereby freeing the senator.