On Monday, the Federal Government alleged that Justice Sylvester Ngwuta tampered with evidence of N27m and exotic cars likely to incriminate him while on bail.
The prosecutor alleged that Justice Ngwuta, after being granted administrative bail on November 9th, 2016, placed a call to Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, asking someone to help him move the evidence to another location.
The cars, a Hummer Jeep, Wrangler Jeep and a BMW 5series sedan, were recovered by the DSS from the location it was taken to. While the cash, along with some documents, moved from the home of the Justice were not recovered because it had been dissipated.
Justice Ngwuta was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a 16-count charge which includes money laundering, multiple passports and corrupt practises, to which he pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
The judge however granted him a bail to the sum of N100m to be guaranteed by his own recognisance, after a two hour break, despite the prosecutor’s opposition to the bail.
The Federal Government lawyer, Mr Charles Armed Adeogun-Phillip, who had opposed the bail, referred to a counter affidavit which was filed on Monday stating how the justice tried to conceal the evidence.
The judge, after dismissing the fear expressed by the prosecution about the possibility of the defendant interfering with evidence and evading trial as baseless, fixed December 7 and 8 for commencement of trial.