FORMER acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has pleaded with a Federal High Court in Abuja to grant him further time to complete the repayment of the public funds he and his co-defendant allegedly looted.

On Wednesday, June 10, Nwabuoku and his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, a former Deputy Director in the Ministry of Defence, appealed to the judge, James Omotosho, to defer their arraignment until a later time to enable them to finalise the repayment.

They were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and are facing 11 counts of money laundering totalling N1.6 billion.

According to the charge sheet, the defendants were charged with perpetrating the offence during Nwabuoku’s tenure as the Ministry of Defence’s Director of Finance and Accounts from 2019 to 2021.

In the charge titled FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24, Nwabuoku is the first defendant while Nweke is the second.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Nwabuokuas acting AGF On May 20, 2022, following the suspension of Ahmed Idris as the AGF due to an alleged N80 billion fraud he perpetrated in office.

Nwabuoku followed his predecessor’s footprint but was removed in July 2022, a few weeks after assuming office.

At the court on Wednesday, Nweke’s counsel, Emeka Onyeaka, told the judge of a recent development in the case, stating that his client had made efforts to settle the matter out-of-court and had returned a significant amount of the money which the anti-graft agency linked to him.

“The second defendant has taken steps, as there is a communication to the commission via-a-vis the alleged offences on making a refund. The commission is in receipt of the money and promised to communicate to us.

“We communicated with the commission and we were asked to tarry for their administrative procedure,” he said.

He claimed that if his client was arraigned, it would have an impact on the trial because a significant amount had been returned from the money stolen. To allow them to complete the administrative process, he pleaded with the court for an adjournment.

Maduakolam Igwe, who appeared for Nwabuoku, aligned with Onyeaka’s submission. Igwe said his client had equally taken the same steps and that a substantial amount had been repaid.

“We have written to the commission on this. The first defendant has also made some refunds. May I adopt the submission of my learner friend to tidy up the administrative procedure,” he stated.

Responding, the EFCC’s counsel, Ogechi Ujam, stated that while the commission had received a proposal letter, “no negotiation has been made, no settlement has been done, and no agreement has been reached by parties.”

She added, “In the circumstances, we urge this honourable court to allow us to arraign the defendants.”

The judge, James Omotosho, however adjourned the case till October 14 for arraignment.