News reports have revealed that detectives of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit have found even more money in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen’s accounts.
The Nation reports that the funds described as “suspicious”, caught the attention of the NFIU due to the transactions through which they came.
According to the reports, some of the suspicious transactions include an $800,000 Standard Chartered Bank investment subscription.
The detectives also reportedly found $630,000 paid into some of the accohnts as “structured payments” in tranches of $10,000 each.
Sources have said that the payments were reportedly made between 2012 and 2016, and have become a source of suspicion as they were not declared among Onnoghen’s assets.
The NFIU has reportedly placed a restriction on five accounts with sums adding up to $3million.
The Nation reports that an intelligence report by the NFIU reads in part, “Pattern of structured payments of $10,000 each in 2012.
“For example, a total of $630,000 was credited to the accounts using this pattern. Similarly structured payments of $10,000 amounting to $297,800, $50,000 and $36,000 were deposited in the account in 2013, 2015 and 2016 respectively.
”There was also a credit of $121,116 into the account from 2014 to 2016 from Life Friend Plc. The payments were in four installments, of $30,279 each. These payments suggest the suspect has investments.
“A payment at $482,966 from Alicia Redemption Pro and shortly after, $800,000 was invested in SCB Investment subscription. We are in the process of verifying these transactions;
”Other suspicious transactions in the account are credit of $19,764 from Pur of Noble and seven payments of $3,250, each amounting to $22,750 from Lloyds TSB.
The investigative team also discovered “a self transfer of £40,268 into the account on May 31, 2016,” as touching the pound sterling (GBP).
There were more self-deposits by the CJN of £49,760 from July 2015 to September, 2016, with a balance of £108,348, as at September 30, 2016.
The Nation repost that all of these transactions are currently being investigated as to discover if they are in violation of the “Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
As earlier reported, the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, rejected the order to stop the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen by a Federal High Court, Abuja, and National Industrial Court of Nigeria, on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
Onnoghen is standing trial for alleged false declaration of assets.
Reacting to the order by the courts, CCT chairman Justice Danladi Umar said, “This is because the tribunal is established by the constitution under the third schedule to adjudicate on matters of asset declaration.
“Therefore any order from any court directing it not to carry out its duty is in crystal violation of the constitution.”
