Heritage Bank manager denies using son’s account to launder N1.6bn

The suspended Yenagoa Branch Manager of Heritage Bank, Mr Joseph Iwuejo, has refuted the claim that he used the bank account of his son to launder money on behalf of a former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Dr Waripamo-Owei Dudafa.

The anti-graft agency charged Dudafa and Iwuejo, said to be Dudafa’s account officer at Heritage Bank, with money laundering before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

They were accused of using a number of companies to laundering about N1.6bn

But Dudafa and Iwuejo have pleaded not guilty to the 23 counts filed against them by the EFCC.

At the resumed trial on Tuesday before Justice Mohammed Idris, Iwuejo, who had entered into the witness box to testify on his own behalf, was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo.

In the course of the proceedings, Oyedepo referred Iwuejo to his (Iwuejo’s) son’s bank account, which the banker confirmed, explaining that his son was born on December 28, 2006 and that the account was opened for him soon after.

Though Iwuejo confirmed that various sums of money were deposited into the son’s account, including N9.5m on January 22, 2014 and N5m on February 3, 2014, he maintained that the funds were not proceeds of criminal activities.

He said the funds were transferred into his son’s account from the account of Ebiwise Resources, owned by his family.

He said N9m, for instance, was transferred from the son’s account to Ebiwise’s account, which he said he and his wife jointly operated.

Joseph said his company once got a contract to construct a Sport Academy building for the Bayelsa State Government.

“We submitted an application for the job. There are so many buildings and they allocated one to us,” he said.

He said the company was paid N41m for the contract, insisting that it was Bayelsa State that transferred the money.

Asked if he disclosed to his bank that he was also a government contractor, Joseph said, “I did not disclose it because it was not necessary.”

But he said his colleagues knew about the family business.

Earlier while being led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Ige Asemudara, Iwuejo claimed that the statements he made to the anti-graft agency were not voluntary but dictated to him.

Justice Mohammed Idris has adjourned till November 12, 2018 for the adoption of final written addresses.Punch