The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has provided a new dossier of the improprieties committed by Justice Walter Onnoghen, the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, now facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for false asset declaration.
The dossier, by way of a “final address” was sent by lawyers to the commission in a letter to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the shocking details informed the decision of the body on Wednesday to send a yet-to-be disclosed recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari. The NJC has recommended Onnoghen’s retirement to President Buhari. In the dossier prepared by Ekele Iheanacho and Rotimi Oyedepo Iseoluwa, the EFCC catalogued various allegations against Onnoghen, raising questions over the legitimacy of $1,716,000 deposited, over time, into his domiciliary account at Standard Chartered Bank and monies found in other accounts. “It is clear that these huge sums of money were not earned by the Respondent (Onnoghen) as his salaries and allowances”, the EFCC said in its submission. The letter cited the transactions between a senior advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi and Onnoghen, and the contradictory statements made by the duo over a Mercedes Benz 450 worth N7 million bought for Onnoghen by Agi in 2009 and a $30,000 deposited into Onnoghen’s account by Agi. Onnoghen claimed he gave Agi the money to deposit on his behalf. Agi said he could not recall collecting such ‘huge money’ from Onnoghen. Onnoghen claimed he paid for the Mercedes Benz in tranches, Agi claimed he bought the car on Onnoghen’s behalf outright, with cash. “I will be surprised if the money Onnoghen gave me was up to $30,000.00 as I cannot remember taking $30,000 USD from Justice Onnoghen. $30,000 USD is big money to take at a go”, Agi was quoted to have said in a testimony to the EFCC. The Commission also listed five senior lawyers who paid ‘pecuniary gifts’ into Onnoghen’s account at various times in 2015.
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