EFCC Wins As Appeal Court Cancels Federal High Court's Acquittal of Former Air Chief Mohammed Umar

 

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division has set aside the acquittal of former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar.

 

Umar was cleared of a money laundering charge to the tune of N66 million by a federal high court in Abuja.

 

However, a three-man panel of Justices led by Justice Elfrieda Williams–Dawodu delivered a unanimous judgement upturned the Federal High Court's judgement. 

 

Umar who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on one count bordering on money laundering allegedly stolen from the account of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during his tenure between 2010 and 2012, to the tune of sixty- six million Naira, was ordered by the appeal court to continue with his defence on counts 1,2,3,5 and 6.

 

Justice Nnamdi of the federal high court, Abuja who presided over the case earlier, dismissed six out of the seven charges filed against Umar by the EFCC following a no-case submission.

 

The court had ruled that the prosecution failed to provide any evidence that Umar gave the instruction for the transfer of the said funds for the renovation of his private property in Abuja.

 

He stated that it would be dangerous to speculate that Umar must be aware of every financial transaction from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force.