By Vivian Okejeme Abuja
A prosecution witness, Tanko Nuhu Kutana, in the ongoing trial of Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, yesterday, told Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, that Justice Ngwuta used two valid diplomatic passports interchangeably on trips to diff erent countries. Th e federal government is prosecuting Justice Ngwuta on a 14- count charge bordering on money laundering and unlawful possession of two valid diplomatic passports. Th e off ence bordering on alleged possession of two valid passports is said to be contrary to section 10 sub-section (1a) and (d) of the Immigration Act 2015 and punishable under section 10 subsection (1) of the Act.
Th e third prosecution witness, who is an immigration offi cer, attached to the Benue state Command made the disclosure at the resumption of the trial, yesterday. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Olufemi Fatunde, the witness also informed the court that the defendant used diff erent years, 1951 and 1952 as his date of birth for the purpose of procuring diplomatic passport. According to the witness, Justice Ngwuta had on April 5, 2016 written to the NIS through the Supreme Court reporting the loss of his passport, and was issued a replacement on May 13, the said passport, he added was issued in 2014 with expiry date on November 29, 2017.
Testifying further, the witness said investigations in 2015, however, showed that Ngwuta was still making use of the missing passport while retaining the new one. “When he was issued the 64-page passport in 2014, he continued to use the 64 pages of the new passport interchangeably, and did not return it for cancellation.” Kutana added that the diff erent dates of birth claimed by the defendant in the two passports created doubts as to the loss of the 2014 passport. At the end of his testimony, Justice Tsoho adjourned till October 6, for his crossexamination of the witness and continuation of trial
