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A former staff of the Judiciary and his spouse have been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a charge which borders on money laundering.
Crimefacts.news reports that Mr. Joseph Etefia Udoh, a former Registrar with the Kaduna Division of the Federal High Court of Justice (FHCJ) and his wife, Mrs. Grace Udoh, were arraigned before Justice Mallong Peter Hoommuck on a 12-count charge.
Mr. Udoh is
alleged to have misappropriated an amount exceeding N80 million from money that
had been deposited in the court by a litigant.
He reportedly issued cheques in
the name of his wife
who was also a staff of the FHCJ, but in
Abuja, and used the money to acquire properties in some major cities across Nigeria.
When the charges were read to the
defendants, they however pleaded not guilty. Their counsel Chief S. M. Essienakak told the court that they had served the
prosecution with a bail
application and prayed the court to grant them bail on non-stringent
conditions, as they would not evade bail.
In response, counsel to ICPC, Shehu Yahaya, vehemently opposed the bail application on the grounds that the attitude of the defendants suggested that if they were granted bail, they might interfere with the processes as four of the witnesses to be
called by the prosecution were
members of staff of the Kaduna Division of FHCJ, where one of
the defendants had served as a Registrar.
After listening to arguments of counsels on both sides, the judge
granted the defendants bail in the sum of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000:00)
only, with two sureties in like sum who must be members of the legal profession
and must own properties in a Government
Reserved Area in Kaduna.
The matter was adjourned to 28th, 29th, and 30th January,
2020 for continuation of hearing. BitVolut
