I got N313m from Justice Ngwuta — Witness tells court
- A prosecution witness has revealed how a suspended Supreme Court justice wired money to him
- The justice in question is Justice Sylvester Ngwuta
- The money wired is N313 million for housing projects
A prosecution witness has revealed how a suspended Supreme Court justice wired money to him for housing projects, Daily Trust reports.
Linus Chukwuebuka, a building contractor, told a Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, January 18 that he received N313 million for the construction of the judge’s houses in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state between January and September 2014.
The judge was arraigned on 16-count charges bordering on money laundering, concealment of property, and obtaining multiple travel passports following the raid of his home by the Department of State Services on October 8, 2016.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Charles Adeogun Philips.
READ ALSO: Top lawyers, politicians to testify against arrested judges
Chukwuebuka said the judge first engaged him to construct a house on an empty plot of land in Abakaliki.
He said he gave a bill of N148 million for a four-bedroom bungalow, two four bedroom duplexes with a huge fence to enclose the buildings but the judge offered to pay only N130 million. He said he got initially N40m as mobilization.
He also said he got the payment in both naira and US dollar equivalents.
Reacting to questions by defence counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) about how the sum of N4.3m counted by the DSS instead of N3m after the witness has moved N24m, he said: “I spent N24m for the project. But the DSS counted smaller denominations from the bags recovered in his house and it came up to N4, 360, 000.”
The prosecution claims the judge paid the N313 million for the projects despite being only legitimately entitled to about N24 million.
Justice James Tsoho adjourned the case to March 9 for hearing.
READ ALSO: DSS, AGF slams 6-count charges against accused judge
In his last appearance in court, the Federal High Court was told how N27 million disappeared from the bathroom of Justice Nguwta.
Source: Legit.ng
