Abuja, Nigeria – Dem trowaypalava for Federal High Court for Abuja as Mr. Trinity Usman, wey be Bureau De Change (BDC) operator and EFCC prosecution witness, don dey shine light on SunTrust Bank executives wey face trial for money laundering wahala wey total $12 million.
On Friday, as Usman dey run mouth for front of Justice Emeka Nwite, e talk say him no sabi Halima Buba and Innocent Mbagwu, di bank big fish dem wey face di music. Dem dey try show say dem no do anything wrong. “I no know dem,” Na wetin Usman yan when EFCC lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, ask am about di defendants wey dey for dock.
Halima Buba, wey be di Managing Director of SunTrust Bank, and Innocent Mbagwu, di Executive Director wey dey oversee compliance, don plead not guilty to six counts wey involve serious cash wahala without using any financial institution as dem suppose. Dis one dey against di Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act wey dem pass for 2022.
Dem don grant dem bail of N100 million each, and dem gatz bring surety wey go back dem play sharp. Usman, wey dey second witness (PW-2), also yan say him receive $3 million cash from Suleiman Ciroma in April 2025, wey e later transfer to Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd account wey belong to Mrs. Aisha Achimugu.
Na so di koko dey, people wey dey enjoy di dollar transfer matter include last-minute questions about whether Usman use he own oil and gas firm account to handle di transaction because him BDC license don dey suspended at dat time. Usman talk say e no tell di bank executives about di suspended license before e run di transaction.
Di matter no wan end for dis side as him name Abdulkadir Mohammed and Kabir Haruna as di guys wey help am collect cash from Ciroma. Under cross-examination, he admit say him BDC still dey operate but with just “approval in principle” from Central Bank of Nigeria.
Suleiman Ciroma, wey be di first prosecution witness (PW-1), don also sieve out say Aisha Achimugu want di dollars to buy two oil blocks and say di cash deposit fit scatter di whole transfer plan.
Justice Nwite don set date for dem to continue di trial on December 10 and 11. Na dia we go see wetin go happen next as efcc dey push hard make sure say dem hold dem accountable. Stay tuned, we dey bring updates as di matter dey unfold.
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