The Federal High Court, Abuja on Thursday ordered that the money recovered from the home of Su­preme Court’s Justice Syl­vester Ngwuta, be depos­ited in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Justice John Tsoho gave the order after admitting in evidence, nine bags and boxes containing the money.
The prosecuting coun­sel, Mrs. Olufemi Fatunde, led the fifth prosecution witness, Mr. John Otaze, an operative of the De­partment of State Services (DSS) to tender the bags and boxes in evidence.
Otazi told the court that he led a team of DSS oper­atives to conduct a search on Ngwuta’s residence.
He said that various sums of money in both lo­cal and foreign currencies were recovered, including N35 million, £35, 915; $319,096; 50 South Afri­can rands, €280, 000, 380 Dirhams and 420 Dalases.
Tsoho adjourned the matter till tomorrow for cross examination of the witness.
Justice Ngwuta is fac­ing a 12-count charge of money laundering, reten­tion and concealment of various sums of money in local and foreign curren­cies.
He is also charged with giving various sums of money above the statuto­ry threshold to his build­ing contractor without going through a financial institution.-The Authority