The member representing Port Harcourt Constituency 2 in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinyere Igwe, has been arraigned before a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on an allegation of money laundering.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that Igwe, who was arrested by the police on the eve of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly election with $498,000 in his possession was arraigned by the Nigeria Police.
It would be recalled that Igwe had had a seared relationship with his former ally, the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, following the former’s (Igwe) support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
However, yesterday, Igwe was arraigned at a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on one count of Money Laundering.
The one-count charge against Igwe bordered on illegal possession of $498,000 on the 24th day of February 2023 at about 01.35 hours at No. 181 Aba Road, by GRA junction, Port Harcourt and failure to declare its transportation to the Nigerian Customs Service, thereby committing an offence contrary to sections 1(a) 2(1) (2) (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under section 2(5) of same Act.
But, the defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge preferred against by the police was read, warranting the prosecution, Mrs M.N. Nweke, to apply for another date to bring some witnesses to court.
Counsel for the defendant, Tonye Ibisiki, however, applied for bail for his client, pending the determination of the case in view of the critical nature of the matter and the health condition of the defendant.
It would be recalled that Igwe had earlier been granted bail on Tuesday 7th March 2023, but was rearrested the same day.
Delivering a ruling on the matter in suit number, FHC/PH/105/2023, the presiding Judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, deferred the hearing on the bail application to Tuesday, 14th March 2023.
Justice Daylop-Pam also adjourned to 4th May 2023 for hearing on the matter and remanded the defendant to the prosecuting facility.
In a related development, a former Commissioner of Information in Kaduna State, Saidu Adamu and an ex-General Manager of a Radio station, Yakubu Lere who were working to actualise the victory of the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state, Isa Ashiru, have been arrested by Security agency in Kaduna.
Nigeriacrime.com gathered that the duo were arrested for allegedly plotting to cause trouble in Kaduna State.
Confirming the development an official of the PDP, said the two party chieftains were still colling their heads in the DSS office.
It was alleged that they were making statements on Hausa Radio programmes that were not palatable to the ruling APC government and its gubernatorial candidate in the state, Senator Uba Sani.
“Our lawyers are working to see that they are freed, there is no cause for alarm,” a PDP official has said.