UPDATED: NBA President Appears In Court Over Alleged N1.4bn Fraud

UPDATED: NBA President Appears In Court Over Alleged N1.4bn Fraud

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), has appeared at the Federal High Court in Lagos for his scheduled arraignment over alleged money laundering.

The NBA President arrived the court at 8.32 a.m. today.

Mr Usoro is being defended by a team of lawyers led by a former president of the NBA, Wole Olanipekun.

The planned arraignment was however stalled as Justice Muslim Hassan adjourned till December 18.

The judge fixed the date to enable Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) serve Usoro with the charge sheet for the alleged offence.

The EFCC, last week filed a 10-count charge against Mr Usoro.

Mr Usoro however said on Sunday, December 9, that he is innocent of the N1.4 billion money laundering charges brought against him by EFCC. He said this while fielding questions from reporters after the NBA National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

He said, “I haven’t been served. I expect I will be served but the facts as I know it, I am completely innocent and the facts as I know it, I presented it in the address that was adopted by NEC.”

“Assuming that there was something that was done; except the association itself makes a complaint to the EFCC or any of the other criminal investigating agencies, then they don’t have any basis having to come in into what we are doing.”