Court remands 3 INEC officials for money laundering

The Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, ordered three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be remanded in the Ikoyi Prison.
Justice Muslim Hassan gave the order after the three officials, attached to the electoral commission in Ogun state, Yemi Akinwonmi, Dickson Atiba and Ogunmodede Oladayo, were arraigned for allegedly laundering N179.8 million.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the defendants conspired and took possession of the N179.8 million in March 2015, days before the general elections.
The anti-graft agency said they received the money from one Adeyinka Ayo-Aina when they “reasonably ought to have known that the money formed part of proceeds of fraud,” noting that they handled the cash without going through any financial institution, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The EFCC alleged that the first and second defendants, on or about April 7, 2015, made and accepted a cash payment of N69 million, “which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law without going through a financial institution and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 16(2) of the same Act.” The three defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the eightcount charge brought against them.
Hassan adjourned the case till August 6, 2018, to take their bail applications.