Justice Chuka Obiozor of the
Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday withdrew from the trial of Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA) Presiden Paul Usoro (SAN), charged with N1.4billion fraud.
Usoro was first arraigned before
Justice Muslim Hassan on a 10-count charge.
He pleaded not guilty.
Justice Hassan later withdrew
from the case.
Others charged with Usoro are
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, Nsikan Nkan; Accountant-General, Mfon
Udomah; Attorney-General, Uwemedimo Nwoko and Margaret Ukpe, said to be at
large.
Also named in the charge is
Governor Emmanuel Udom, “currently constitutionally immune from prosecution.”
Usoro was to be re-arraigned
before Justice Obiozor, but the judge recused himself for personal reasons.
“For personal reasons, I hereby
disqualify myself from handling the case.
“I hereby return this file to the
Chief Judge for reassignment to another judge,” Justice Obiozor ruled.
Prior to Usoro’s arraignment
before Justice Hassan last December 18, his lead counsel Chief Wole Olanipekun
(SAN), informed the judge of a December 17 letter to the Chief Judge seeking
the transfer of the case to another judge for an undisclosed reason.
Olanipekun said Usoro would want
the case transferred to either Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, or Abuja.
He said if the case would remain
in Lagos, it should be transferred to “any other honourable judge apart from my
noble Lord.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) alleged that the defendants committed the offence on May 14,
2016.
The commission alleged that Usoro
conspired with others to commit the offence within the jurisdiction of the
court.
He was alleged to have conspired
to convert N1.4 billion, property of Akwa Ibom State Government, which sum they
reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful
activity.
The prosecution said that the
unlawful activity included criminal breach of trust which contravened sections
15 (2), 15(3), and 18 (A) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
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