A member of the Nigeria’s Presidential Arms Probe Panel on $2.1bn arms procurement fund (Dasukigate), was said to have been caught with $1m cash in his house, Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd) has been re-arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Umar, 54, was re-arraigned together with his firm, Easy Jet Integrated Services Limited, before Justice John Tsoho, Friday, on a four-count amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/145/16, on money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and violation of Official Secret Act.
In June 2016, Umar was arrested by The Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly fronting for other members of the Presidential Arms Panel in receiving large sums of money from certain individuals and companies in order to evade prosecution.
Alleged to have been recovered from him during the raid on his residence were over $1 million cash and luxury state-of-the-art cars, including a Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Buggati, among others.
The Presidential Panel is chaired by a retired Air Vice Marshal Jon Ode, who was a former adviser to a former Defence Minister under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Members of the panel include serving and retired officers from different security agencies and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The DSS has, however, re-arraigned him with an amended charge and the case was transferred to Justice John Tsoho for prosecution.
Umar was accused of conspiracy and accepting $1,030,000 in cash from a firm, Worldwide Consortium PTY Ltd “as payment for flight services without going through a financial institution as required by law” contrary to sections 18 (a) and 16(1)(d) of the Money Laundering Act 2011.
Further accusation include being in illegal possession of two pump action guns (marked: SBSG Magnum 397 and SBGS Interpress 09-1573) between June 1, 2011 and June 19, 2016 without valid licenses and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27(1)(b)(i) of the act.
The Presidential Panel member was also accused of having in his possession at his No: 4 Lungi Close, Mississippi, Maitama, Abuja home, “classified/official documents without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Official Secret Act and punishable under Section 7(1)(a) of the same Act.”
However, Umar has pleaded not guilty to all the charges
