Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja will, today, hear a suit filed against a director with TAJ Bank, Alkali Habib, and four private companies and their directors, over alleged money laundering and breach of public procurement act.
Also, to appear in court alongside Habib are Innocent Nwobodo, Edwin Iyk Anyadigibe, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad and Abdulmumini Haruna, Directors of Winslow Logistics, Antasar Nigeria Limited, Equal Logistics Services Limited, Velocity Logistics and Marine Services Limited, and Sahams Crystal Investment, respectively.
The defendants are to be arraigned by a private firm, Donnington Nigeria Limited, for breach of Public Procurement Act bordering on money laundering. It is the first litigation in Nigeria’s history where private organisation(s), apart from certain government agencies, would bring individuals or businesses before the court for money laundering.
In the 10-count charge filed differently against the defendants by Donnington Nigeria Limited, through its lawyer, Dr. R.O. Atabo (SAN), the companies and their promoters were substantially accused of committing acts of money laundering in their financial operations.
Specifically, count 9 of the charge reads: “That Winslow Logistics Nigeria Limited (RC 773791), being a designated non-financial institution, and Alkali Habib, a director and shareholder of Winslow Logistics Nigeria Limited (RC 773791), sometime between the period of September 2017 to 2020, in Abuja, within the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, failed to comply, in writing, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in any lodgement or outflow transaction above N10 million, as required under section 10(1)b of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended), and you, thereby, committed an offence under Section 10(3) of the said Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under 10 (3) of the same Act.”
The other defendants’ charges, apart from velocity logistics and its said director, Ahmad, are in similar vein as those of Antasar and Habib.