The absence of Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, stalled the trial of the wife of former Managing Director, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, Ochuko Momoh.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ochuko was, on March 9, arraigned before Justice Taiwo by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
She was arraigned alongside Blessing Azuka-Ngozi, Stanbic-IBTC Bank Plc, Energopol Nigeria Limited, Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Farms Limited on 22 counts which were later reduced to 13 counts.
However, the first defendant in the new charge, Haruna, who is Momoh’s husband, is said to be at large.
NAN reports that Justice Taiwo, on July 15, adjourned the matter until October 28 after Jane Asuquo, an ICPC’s witness, had given her evidence-in-chief.
Asuquo told the court that Haruna used his wife to launder the agency’s 700 million dollars.
She alleged that the act was perpetrated between 2012 and 2015 when Haruna was the MD of the agency.
However, at the resumed hearing, Justice Taiwo was not in court.
The matter was second of the 11 cases scheduled on the cause list.
The court’s registrar informed that the judge, who sat during the annual vacation of the Federal High Court, had proceeded on leave.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal High Court annual vacation, which began on July 27, ended on September 28.
The court, however, fixed December 7, December 8 and December 11 for hearing in the matter.
