The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday presented additional two prosecution witnesses in the trial of Emmanuela Eteta Ita and Surestart School Ltd, before Justice F.O.G. Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The EFCC is prosecuting Ita, former Head of Stakeholders Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and Surestart School Ltd, on 25-count charge of corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N145,819,000 (One Hundred and Forty-five Million, Eight Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Naira), an offence contrary to Section 18 and punishable under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No.1 of 2012).
One of the charges read: “That you, Emmanuela Eteta Ita, while being the Head of Stakeholders Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and Surestart School Ltd between 19th January, 2016 and March, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, knowing that the total sum of N145,819,000 (One Hundred and Forty-five Million, Eight Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Naira), transferred by Emmanuela Eteta Ita into the UBA Plc account No. 1013797194 operated by Surestart School Ltd, represented proceeds of unlawful acts to wit: corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds belonging to FIRS and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 and punishable under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No.1 of 2012).”
Nnamdi Ayogwu, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa, UBA, who was presented as prosecution witness two (PW2), identified the account opening package of Surestart School Ltd, which he said Ita was the sole signatory and of account opening package of Ita’s private account. The account package was among the exhibits, tendered by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, marked as Exhibit 2(one to 72) and Exhibit 3(one to 55).
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, the witness disclosed that the account, with number 1009478935 in the name of Eteta Emmanuela Ita was an individual current account, while the one with number 1013797194 in the name of Surestart School Ltd was a current account for SMEs.
Disclosing the record of financial flows into the account of Surestart School Ltd, PW2 revealed that there was a transfer of N3.5 million (Three Million Five Hundred Naira) to the School on September 28, 2017, and a transfer of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to it on October 10, 2017. He further disclosed that there was another transfer of N10 million (Ten Million Naira) to the school on October 9, 2018 and also N11 million (Eleven million Naira) to school on October 23, 2018.
After his cross-examination by counsels to the first and second defendants, Paul Orokoro and Useini Musa respectively, the prosecution presented the third prosecution witness, (PW3), Awonsel David Mosugu, owner of a hospitality company, LO MEIN EXPRESS, who told the court that he was called upon sometime in May, 2019, by the EFCC to make clarifications on some documents which he said he had no knowledge of the issues they contained. The said document was marked Exhibit Four (One to 43).
He also claimed today that the documents in the exhibit did not emanate from his company, Lo Mein Express and that he received no money on the receipt of the documents.
He told the court upon cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, that most of his staff, are on contract and that the FIRS was not his only client.
It could be recalled that the prosecution presented the first prosecution witness (PW1), Remi Ugwu, a banker with Zenith Bank Plc, against the defendant on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
The matter was adjourned till November 10, 17 and 18 2020 for continuation of trial.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")