The trial of former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah, and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is set to commence at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, October 17, as directed by the federal government.
The charges against Mrs. Oduah and CCECC include allegations of fraud, money laundering, and bribery totaling N7.9 billion. Specifically, CCECC is accused of bribing Federal Government officials with the sum of N7.9 billion through transfers from its various bank accounts to the accounts of alleged beneficiaries of the graft, aiming to secure government patronage.
Senator Oduah is facing prosecution for purportedly accepting money from CCECC during her tenure as the Minister of Aviation.
The trial, scheduled before Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo in Abuja on October 17, will be coordinated and conducted by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, as per the order of the Federal High Court, marking a significant development in the legal proceedings.
The EFCC was said to have been ordered to step aside from the trial following its involvement in some unlawful means that stalled the case for more than two years.
Mrs Oduah and eight others pleaded not guilty on Friday, July 21, 2023, to a N7.9 billion fraud charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They were arraigned by the EFCC before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on a 25-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The former Aviation Minister was docked alongside three others: Gloria Odita, Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi and Irene Chukwuma and five companies, Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Tiptop Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
Senator Oduah was arraigned on alleged N7.9 billion fraud and financial misappropriation while she served as Minister during the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
In the 25-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/2020, they were accused of conspiracy, money laundering and maintaining anonymous bank accounts with a commercial bank.
Count one of the charges reads, “that you, Stella Adaeze Oduah whilst being the Minister of Aviation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gloria Odita whilst being the Company Secretary to Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd (SPGC) and an aide to the former Minister of Aviation, Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi, whilst being an employee of Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd (SPGC) and an aide to the former Minister of Aviation, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore And Marine Limited, Tiptop Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited between January 2014 and April 2014 at Abuja within the judicial division of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: ‘Money Laundering’ and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act”.
Count 5 reads, “that you, Stella Adaeze Oduah whilst being the Minister of Aviation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, a Limited Liability Company registered under the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on or about 12th February 2014 at Abuja within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court took control of the sum of N1,629,250,000.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty-Nine Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) only and paid into the account of Global Offshore and Marine Ltd account No. 2022977296 domiciled with First Bank Plc from I-Sec Security Nig. Ltd accounts No. 2021756955 with First Bank Plc, which money you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Justice Ekwo granted bail to the defendants on the terms of the administrative bail earlier offered them by the EFCC and adjourned till October 17 for the commencement of trial.
It will be recalled that the commission had filed the charge against Oduah and others on December 17, 2020, but attempts to arraign them witnessed many twists and turns.
Several times the defendants were not available in court forcing adjournments, and when they were available, it was either counsel was pushing for adjournment on the grounds of settlement negotiations.