Court nullifies N21.5bn money laundering accusations against former Air Force chief

A  Federal High Court in Lagos  has on Tuesday, quashed the N21.5bn money laundering charges instituted against a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosun, and two others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC first arraigned Amosun,  a former Nigeria Air Force Chief of Accounts and Budgeting, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun, and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga,  before Justice Mohammed Idris,  on June 29, 2016, on a 26-count charge.

They were later re-arraigned  on an amended 13-count charge before  Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke  following the elevation Justice Idris to the Court of Appeal.The  were accused of  conspiracy and conversion of the funds belonging to the NAF to their personal use.

But in  a ruling on Tuesday on the preliminary  filed by the defendants,  Justice Aneke  said the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

He said: “As officers of the armed forces, they ought to have been first investigated by the armed forces and tried rather than charging them before this court.”