Not Yet Uhuru As EFCC Sets To Appeal Nwaoboshi’s N322m Fraud Case Victory

The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said this during an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.

“We will be taking Senator Nwaoboshi’s case before the Court of Appeal,” Uwujaren said during a brief telephone interview with one of our correspondents.

This comes just as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), personally welcomed Nwaoboshi to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Besides, the Niger Delta Development Commission had last year accused Nwaoboshi of using 11 companies as fronts to secure a N3.6bn contract from the NDDC and failing to execute the contract, an allegation which the senator has denied.

In 2018, Nwaoboshi was arraigned by the EFCC before a Federal High Court in Lagos for N322m fraud involving two of his companies.

Nwaoboshi and the two companies – Golden Touch Construction Project Limited and Suiming Electrical Ltd – were arraigned for acquiring a property, Guinea House, on Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos for N805m. The EFCC alleged that N322m out of the N805m was part of the proceeds of fraud.

However, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke said the EFCC relied on hearsay as evidence.

One week after his acquittal, the lawmaker, who is a former state chairman of the PDP, was welcomed by the President, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

The statement read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja welcomed Senator Peter Nwaoboshi to the APC after he left the Peoples Democratic Party, saying ‘you are welcome to the progressives’ family.’

“Senator Nwaoboshi, representing Delta North District, Delta State, was presented to President Buhari and the National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee at the State House by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.

“The Deputy Senate President said Senator Nwaoboshi’s decision to join the APC clearly shows that the effort of the CECPC was yielding fruit. The senator was warmly welcomed by party members.”

(This story excluding headline contains information from PUNCH)