By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—The Federal Government, yesterday, engaged a new prosecutor to handle the trial of Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court who is facing money laundering charges.

At the resumed sitting on the matter before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a former prosecutor for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Mrs. Olufemi Fakunle, told the court that she would henceforth lead the prosecution team.

FG handed the case file to her following the sudden withdrawal of the former prosecutor, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Philips.

Adeogun-Philips, who formerly prosecuted cases at the International Criminal Court of Justice, ICC, had on February 9, informed the trial court that he would no longer participate in the trial, citing “domestic issues”.

Though it was gathered that Adeogun-Philips was displeased with the way government dropped criminal charges against three top officials of the Supreme Court accused of diverting over N2.2 billion, the government, however maintained that he was disengaged over his non-disclosure of conflict of interest.

The Head of Communications, National Prosecution Coordination Committee, NPCC, Salihu Isah, who disclosed this in a statement, said the former prosecutor was sacked through a letter dated February 6, owing to alleged unprofessional conduct.

Meanwhile, Fakunle, yesterday, persuaded trial Justice John Tsoho to adjourn the case till March 16  to enable her to properly study the case-file.

She said the study would enable her to re-examine the lead prosecution witness, Mr. Linus Nwamba, who earlier exposed how Justice Ngwuta spent N313 million on landed properties.

Nwamba, who testified as the first prosecution witness, PW-1, said Justice Ngwuta gave him the money in cash, between January 4 and September 2016.

Ngwuta was among seven superior court Judges arrested after a sting operation the DSS conducted between October 7 and 9, 2016.

He is answering to a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering, age falsification and alleged illegal possession of multiple international passports.