TheCable

Peter Nwaoboshi, senator representing Delta north, says he will challenge the verdict of the appeal court that sentenced him to prison for money laundering.

On Friday, an appeal court sitting in Lagos state sentenced him to seven years imprisonment for money laundering.

The court also ordered that two of the senator’s firms be wound up.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Nwaoboshi and his two firms – Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd — in 2018 before Mohammed Idris, a judge who was later elevated to the court of appeal.

They were then re-arraigned before Chukwujekwu Aneke on October 5, 2018.

In the two-count charge marked FHC/L/117C/18, the EFCC alleged that the defendants laundered N322 million in 2014.

While dismissing the case, Aneke had said the anti-graft agency failed to prove the elements of the offences for which it charged the senator.

EFCC, however, appealed the court’s decision, which resulted in the Friday ruling.

Reacting to the appeal court judgment in a statement, Philip Elueme, an aide of the senator, said the lawmaker is confident that the supreme court “will subject the judgment to critical review”.

“The attention of SPON Media has been drawn to the news making rounds about the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos over a matter which EFCC filed against Chief, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, the Senator representing Delta north at the senate,” the statement reads.

“It is not unusual to have judgments that astound the parties, depending on where the pendulum swings.

“The judgment, the news of which is in the media, arose from an appeal by EFCC against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which discharged and acquitted distinguished senator and co-defendants at the trial level.

“Steps are being taken to challenge the court of appeal judgment immediately and we are confident that the supreme court will subject the judgment to critical review accordingly.”