Obasi Sunday, a staff member of the Ebonyi State Accountant-General’s Office, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged N61 million money laundering scheme.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Federal High Court in Abakaliki, presided over by Justice H. I. O. Oshomah, heard the two-count charge on Thursday, February 19. Mr Obasi pleaded not guilty to both counts.
According to the ICPC, the defendant, who is a signatory to the Ebonyi State Government Shopping Mall Account with United Bank for Africa (UBA), allegedly withdrew the funds in structured tranches of N10 million and N1 million in August 2020, apparently to evade mandatory reporting requirements.
The Commission also claimed that he transferred N60,941,725 into the account of Ikechukwu Obiukwu, a government contractor, in similar instalments to avoid statutory disclosure. The offences, the ICPC said, violate Section 19(1)(c) and are punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The court granted Mr Obasi bail of N10 million, with the state Accountant-General acting as surety. Both are required to submit written undertakings and two recent passport photographs. The trial is set for March 24 and 25.
This case adds to a growing list of alleged financial misconduct by state-level officials across Nigeria, highlighting ongoing concerns about public fund management. Recent high-profile cases in Bauchi, Kwara, and Delta states reflect similar patterns of structured withdrawals and diversion of public money.