The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, docked retired Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi on a three-count charge of abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N136 million.
Omenyi, according to a statement by the commission, is being prosecuted for his alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the purchase of arms by the military.
The statement said he appeared before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, alongside his company, Huzee Nigeria Limited.
The court heard that while in service, the accused received N61 million from SkyExperts Nigeria Limited, a contractor of AETSL, through the FCMB account of Huzee Nigeria Ltd, between Aug. 16 and 23, 2014.
“You reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity (to wit: corruption) of Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi.
“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act,” the counts read.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, M. Abubakar, expressed his readiness to commence trial immediately, subject to the convenience of the court.
The defence counsel, Wahab Olatunji, urged the court to dismiss the prosecution’s claim, arguing that they had not been furnished with the statements of both the accused and the witnesses as recommended by the ‘Practice Direction Act, 2013’.
Olatunji’s motion was, however, overruled by the judge, who held that all the documents required by the ‘Practice Direction’ had been furnished in three volumes in the charge filed and dated Oct. 11, 2016 by the prosecution.
Olatunji further urged the court to grant his client bail, adding that the law presumed the accused innocent until proven guilty.
Dimgba adjourned the case till Nov. 14 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded in Kuje prison.