Christian Nwosu and Tijani Bashir, two former staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) charged with N264.8 million gratification and money laundering, were on Thursday convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Mohammed Idris, who had been elevated to the Court of Appeal, but concluded the case on a fiat, handed down the conviction, while delivering his judgment in the trial which spanned several months.
However, the court adjourned the sentence of the convicts until Friday (today) to enable the first convict (Nwosu) appear in court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged the convicts and one Yisa Adedoyin, already been convicted by the court after he pleaded guilty to the charges before the court over a criminal offence bothering on gratification and laundering.
The convicts were said to have accepted cash gratifications from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
The EFCC accused them of accepting the said gratification, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.
READ ALSO: Feb 16: Atiku, others assure Kaduna of Peace and Security
The convicts were re-arraigned after their co-accused (Adedoyin) had opted to change his plea by admitting to being complicit in the offences charged.
Conversely, Nwosu and Bashir maintained their respective pleas of not guilty, while they opened their defences on September 19 and 21, 2018 respectively.
After conclusion of trial, parties adopted their final addresses on November 8, 2018 and the court had adjourned until January 23 for judgment.
