Judge in the dock

ABUJA. – Nigeria has filed money laundering and fraud charges against a Supreme Court judge as part of a wider crackdown on endemic corruption in Africa’s most populous country, court documents showed on Wed- nesday.Sylvester Ngwuta, who is suspended along with several other judges, was slapped with a nine-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ngwuta is accused of illegally keeping the sums of 35,4 million naira ($111 995), $319 596 and £25 915 in his house contrary to the country’s money laundering law.

The embattled judge is also alleged to have “knowingly made a false statement” to obtain four diplomatic passports from the Nigeria Immigration Service.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.

Ngwuta and six other judges have been under investigation following the overnight raids on their homes last month.

At least seven judges were arrested on October 8 and 9 by the Department of State Service (DSS) accused of taking bribes, triggering an outcry from the bar association and rights groups who described the raids as unpreceden- ted.

Millions of naira and other currencies were found in the judges’ homes during the raids.

In all 15 judges are said to be under investigation since April. – AFP.