The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it will appeal the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which acquitted a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, of a N2 billion money laundering charge brought by the Commission against him and others on Monday.
Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the allegation because the Commission failed to establish the charges against the accused.
However, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, stated in a statement that the trial judge erred by ignoring the testimony of the 21 witnesses called by the prosecution throughout the trial, as well as one of the defendants, Osarenkhoe Afe’s confessional statement.
He said that the Commission has therefore decided to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
Oronsaye’s corruption trial commenced in 2015 when he was arraigned alongside the Managing Director of Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Osarenkhoe Afe and three companies – Cluster Logistic Limited; Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants had between 2010 and 2011 used some firms to divert public funds through procurement fraud.
The EFCC equally accused Orosanye and the others of using inflated biometrics enrolment contracts, collective allowances, and other schemes to siphon money from accounts containing pensioners’ funds.
But Justice Ekwo held that the anti-graft agency failed to supply the court, with ingredients that could establish the alleged corruption charges against Oronsaye.
The judge subsequently dismissed the charges in relation to Oronsaye, discharged and acquitted him.