Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The Federal Government on Thursday closed its case of false and non-declaration of charges preferred against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal even as an official of Standard Chartered Bank provided the court with details of the embattled former CJN’s account domiciled with them.
The prosecution led counsel, Aliyu Umar (SAN) announced the decision to close the prosecution’s case after the third witness, Ifeoma Okeagbue, an official of Standard Chartered Bank, concluded her testimony.
Umar said he had chosen to offer to the defence team the rest of his proposed witnesses but the lead defence counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), rejected the offer.
After a brief consultation with Onnoghen, Awomolo informed the court that Onnoghen had opted to file a no-case submission, implying that the defence will contend that the prosecution has failed to make a case against the defendant.
Earlier, an official of Standard Chartered Bank, Ifeoma Okeagbue, the third prosecution witness provided details of the balances on the five different accounts of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Okeagbue, the Team Leader, Priority Banking, as well as Onnoghen’s Relationship Manager at the branch of the bank in Wuse II, Abuja, said the accounts were opened separately between 2009 and 2010, and were in euro, pound, dollar and naira denominations.
According to her, the euro and the pounds accounts were savings, the dollar account was current, while the two other accounts were in naira denominations.
Okagbue, reading from the statements of the accounts earlier admitted as exhibits, said, “On the account 5001062686, the opening balance in January 2018 was €30,178.58.
“As at December 2018, the balance was €10,187.18.
“On account 5001062693, at January 2018, it was with opening balance of N6,411,312.77.
“At December 2018, the balance was N12,852,580.52
“On account 5001062679, the opening balance as at January 2018 was £39,456.08 and by December 2018 the balance was £13,730.70.
“On account 0001062667, the opening balance as at January 2018 was N24,280,904 and as at December 2018, the balance was N2,656,019.21.
“On account 0001062650, as of January 2018, the opening balance was $80,824.25, and by January 2019, the balance was $56,878.”