The trial of former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation over an alleged N7.9bn fraud at a Federal High Court in Abuja has been adjourned.
Initially scheduled for October 17, 2023, the court rescheduled the trial to November 14, citing time constraints.
Stella Oduah was notably absent in court without a provided reason, while her lawyer and the Federal Government’s representative were present.
Oduah and the China Construction giant are currently facing prosecution for alleged crimes of fraud, money laundering, and bribery, amounting to N7.9bn.
These charges encompass conspiracy, money laundering, and the maintenance of anonymous bank accounts with a commercial bank.
For instance, one of the charges outlines that China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) directly transferred N500M from its account with Guaranty Trust Bank to a private banking nominee account with First Bank between March 31 and April 1, 2014, potentially involving proceeds from unlawful activities.
A similar transaction of N868.4M was mentioned, taking place between March 5 and May 30, 2014.
On July 21, 2023, Oduah and eight others pleaded not guilty to these charges after being arraigned.
