Court acquits Winifred Oyo-Ita in N570m money laundering case
Former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, has been discharged and acquitted of N570 million money laundering charges by the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a case against Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants. The court found that the evidence presented was insufficient and based on speculation. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had brought the charges, but the judge found no proof of unlawful activity.
What we know
- Winifred Oyo-Ita and eight co-defendants were acquitted of all 18 counts of alleged money laundering.
- Justice James Omotosho stated that the prosecution's case was built on speculation and lacked crucial evidence.
- The judge found that contracts and allowances linked to Oyo-Ita were properly approved and executed.
- The court ruled that confessional statements were inadmissible as they were not obtained according to legal requirements.
- The prosecution failed to provide evidence that the funds traced to Oyo-Ita were proceeds of unlawful activities.
