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Monday, November 21, 2016

Nigerian Supreme Court Justice, 7 other Judges Charged with Corruption

If you have read this blog for more than a few months you will know that I believe Nigeria to be one of the most corrupt countries on the planet. From government to military to business, corruption runs rampant. It is my hope that President Buhari is considerably cleaner than his pathetic predecessor Goodluck Johnathon, and this action may be a sign that that is so. It's a drop in the bucket, certainly, but a big drop. Let's hope and pray the waves reverberate around that bucket and make life very uncomfortable for those who bring shame upon a country of beautiful people who deserve better.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, pictured at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in New York City in September, pledged during his election campaign last year to fight corruption at all levels 
-- a pledge that resulted in the arrest of Nigerian supreme court justice Sylvester Ngwuta, as well 
as seven other judges. Ngwuta, who faces 15 counts, has pleaded not guilty. 
File Photo by Drew Angerer/UPI/Pool 
By Doug G. Ware

ABUJA, Nigeria, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- A judge on Nigeria's supreme court was charged Monday with 15 counts of fraud, including money laundering, authorities said.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, along with seven other Nigerian judges, pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday. He was arrested last month after a raid on his home yielded cash and several different passports, officials said.

Prosecutors also claim that Ngwuta attempted to conceal evidence in his home, including bags containing about $85,000 in cash.

"We object to bail being granted because we are of the opinion that the defendant may conceal or destroy evidence," prosecutor Charles Adeogun Philips argued in Abuja Federal High Court, asking the judge that bail be revoked for Ngwuta.

The supreme court justice, though, was granted release on $317,000 bail until his trial, with assistance from the Nigerian Bar Association, BBC News reported.

The judges are not allowed to resume presiding over their respective courts, however, until at least the conclusion of their trials.

The raids involving Ngwuta and the other judges were motivated by suspicions of corruption, and follow a pledge by President Muhammadu Buhari last year during his campaign to fight corruption. He won election and took power in May 2015.

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