Nigeria: Supreme Court Justice Charged With Corruption, Money Laundering

Published: 22 November 2016

Hon. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta

Nigerian Supreme Court Justice Sylvester Ngwuta (supremecourt.gov.ng)

By Matthew Beinart

A justice on Nigeria’s Supreme Court has been charged with 16 counts of corruption and laundering 505 million naira (US$ 1.6 million) via a local company, media in the West African country reported.

A raid by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) on the home of Sylvester Ngwuta on Oct. 8 uncovered a bag containing 27 million naira in cash and four passports, which he is accused of using interchangeably.  Ngwuta was released on a bail of 100 million naira on Monday.

The Nigerian Bar Association has denounced the raids and accused the DSS of running a “Gestapo-style” operation, the BBC reported.

Prosecutors cautioned against bail for Ngwuta, saying he could use his influence as a senior judge to hobble the case against him.

Ngwuta has pleaded not guilty to all charges.