N868m fraud: A’Court rejects ex- Accountant-General Nwabuoku’s bail request

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, seeking to be released on bail pending the outcome of his appeal.

Nwabuoku is currently serving a prison sentence after a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him of money laundering and fraud involving N868.4 million.

On March 23, Justice James Omotosho sentenced the former government official to 72 years in prison after finding him guilty of the charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The trial judge held that the EFCC successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to Nwabuoku’s conviction and sentencing.

With the Appeal Court’s latest decision, Nwabuoku will remain in custody while his appeal against the conviction is being considered.

The judge convicted the defendant on all nine counts and sentenced him to eight years in prison on each count.

Omotosho said the sentences, totalling 72 years, will run concurrently.

In a statement issued on Friday, the EFCC said Nwabuoku, through his lawyer, Norrison Quakers, appealed the judgment on May 8 and sought bail on health grounds, pending the determination of the appeal.

Nwabuoku said his health was deteriorating and that he required medical care beyond what the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, the designated medical facility for inmates at the Kuje Correctional Centre, could provide.

However, Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to the EFCC, filed a counter-affidavit on May 25, arguing that the offences for which Nwabuoku was convicted involved large-scale corruption that hampered the government’s efforts to tackle the country’s pervasive insecurity.

The EFCC counsel noted that there was no medical evidence before the court to show that the appellant could not continue to receive treatment, including surgery, at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.

Iheanacho said Nwabuoku’s confinement at the Kuje prison and his medical evaluation at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital showed that the correctional centre was responsive to his medical needs and had not denied him medical attention.

The EFCC counsel added that granting Nwabuoku bail, pending the determination of his appeal, would undermine public confidence in the administration of criminal justice.

“Granting bail to the appellant/applicant in the circumstances of this case would send a wrong signal to the public and undermine confidence in the fight against corruption, money laundering and the misuse of public funds earmarked for national security,” he said.

On Friday, a three-member panel of the appeal court, led by Adebukola Banjoko, dismissed Nwabuoku’s bail application for lack of merit.

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