By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, filed a fresh criminal charge against an aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr Adeyanju Bodunde, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The anti-graft agency insisted that it had uncovered more incriminating proof of evidence that established the involvement of Bodunde in the $180 million Halliburton bribery scandal.

It pleaded the High Court to jettison the previous charge it filed against the accused person over the matter and proceed with taking his plea on the fresh criminal charge.

However, counsel to the accused person, Mr Oluwole Aladeloye, resisted attempts by the anti-graft agency to dock his client yesterday, just as he challenged the competency of the new charge against him.

He raised a preliminary objection against the charge which he insisted was incurably defective.

The defence lawyer pleaded the court to firstly determine the propriety of the fresh charge which he formally challenged yesterday, adding that the accused cannot enter plea on the matter pending when the preliminary objection is decided by the court.

Consequently, presiding judge in the matter, Justice Adamu Bello yesterday adjourned the matter till June 22 to hear the motion on notice opposing the amended charge.

The anti_graft body had on October 13, 2010 slammed a 5_count criminal charge against Bodunde, to which he pleaded “not guilty”.

He was subsequently admitted on bail in the sum of N1 million with a surety in like sum.    However, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Godwin Obla,  later  brought an application to withdraw the earlier charge filed against the accused and to substitute it with another one dated October 5, 2010.

At the last adjourned date, the prosecution also withdrew the October 5, 2010 charge and substituted it with an amended charge dated February 16, 2011.

Some of the previous charge against the accused persons reads: “That you, Adeyanju Bodunde sometime between 2002 and 2003, within the jurisdiction of this court did accept cash payment in the sum of USD 1,000,000.00 (One million United States Dollars) from one George Mark and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d0 of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.

“That you, Adeyanju Bodunde sometime between 2002 and 2003, within the jurisdiction of this court did accept cash payment in the sum of USD 1,000,000.00 (One million United States Dollars) from one George Mark and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d0 of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.

“That you, Adeyanju Bodunde sometime between 2002 and 2003, within the jurisdiction of this court did accept cash payment in the sum of USD 1,000,000.00 (One million United States Dollars) from one George Mark and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d0 of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.

“That you, Adeyanju Bodunde sometime between 2002 and 2003, within the jurisdiction of this court did accept cash payment in the sum of N140, 000,000.00 (One Hundred and Forty Million Naira) from one George Mark and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d0 of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.

“That you, Adeyanju Bodunde sometime between 2002 and 2003, within the jurisdiction of this court did accept cash payment in the sum of USD 500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from one Hans George Christ and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.

“That you, Adeyanju Bodunde sometime between 2002 and 2003, within the jurisdiction of this court did accept cash payment in the sum of USD 500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from one Hans George Christ and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004”.