Part of N35 million recovered from Justice Ngwuta’s residence by DSS missing

Part of N35 million recovered from Justice Ngwuta’s residence by DSS missing – Justice Tsoho

Controversy now surrounds the N35million the Department of State Service, DSS, allegedly found in the official residence of Supreme Court Justice, Sylvester Ngwuta as some amount is now missing from the total sum recovered.

Justice Ngwuta is facing money laundering charges.

At the resumed trial of Justice Ngwuta before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, the presiding Judge, Justice John Tsoho, informed the court that part of the money was missing.

The DSS had through John Utazi, an investigator, insisted before the court that the total amount of local currencies it recovered from Ngwuta’s home was N35,358,000.

It also gave details of foreign currencies it recovered after a “sting operation” it conducted at Ngwuta’s residence on October 8, 2016, as £35, 0915 (Pound Sterling), $319,096 (United States Dollars), R50 (South Africa Rand), €280 Euros, 380 United Arab Emirates Dirhams and 420 Gambian Dalasis.

However, before transferring the monies which government lawyer, Olufemi Fatunde tendered into evidence in nine bags and boxes, to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for safe-keeping, Justice Tsoho ordered that they should be recounted.

Though the Judge directed that the foreign currencies should be counted in bundles since they were already wrapped and sealed, he said the Naira should be recounted in the presence of representatives from the prosecution, the defence and an official of the court.

Justice Tsoho turned down request by the prosecution counsel for the monies to be counted at the CBN, stressing that it should be done with counting machine of the court.

However, at the resumed hearing of the matter on Friday, Justice Tsoho revealed that N22,160. 00 was missing from the money.

While FG claimed that it tendered a total of N35,358,000, the Judge disclosed that only N35,335,840 was tendered before the court.

Sequel to the development, the court gave Ngwuta’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, the nod to cross-examine the witness, Utazi, who is the fifth prosecution witness in the matter

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