The trial of former Chairman of the INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROFESSOR MAURICE IWU, has failed to continue as scheduled.
PROFESSOR IWU’S trial was stalled on Monday at the Federal High Court in Lagos as the trial judge, JUSTICE NICHOLAS OWEIBO, did not sit.
He is facing three counts bordering on fraud and money laundering filed against him by the ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC).
The former INEC boss was first arraigned on August 8 before JUSTICE CHUKA OBIOZOR, who granted him bail in the sum of N1 billion.
Following the transfer of the case to JUSTICE OWEIBO, PROFESSOR IWU was re-arraigned by the EFCC on October 24 before JUSTICE OWEIBO.
He, however, he pleaded not guilty to the charges while JUSTICE OWEIBO adjourned until November 25 for his trial to commence.
Following the absence of the judge at Monday’s sitting, the case was further adjourned until February 27, 2020.
In the charges filed against the former INEC chairman, the EFCC alleged that between December 2014 and March 27, 2015, Mr Iwu “aided the concealment of N1.23 billion in the account of Bioresources Institute of Nigeria Limited with number 1018603119, domiciled in the United Bank for Africa.”
According to the commission, PROFESSOR IWU “ought to have reasonably known that the N1.23 billion formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to commit fraud.”
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, MR ROTIMI OYEDEPO, told the court that the former INEC boss acted contrary to Sections 18(a) and 15(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and that the offence was liable to be punished under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
