Onnoghen: Substantial part of my money was made as a private legal practitioner from 1979 to 1989

As the trial of suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, begins on February 4 at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja, the embattled CJN has revealed how he made his dollars and pound sterling.
Several lodgements discovered in his various domiciliary accounts have led to calls for Onnoghen to resign.
In the voluntary statement he made at the Department of Intelligence Investigation and Monitoring, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Abuja, Onnoghen declared that some of the deposits in his dollar account were from forex trading AGRICODE, while others were from proceeds of his investments into them.
He also declared that a substantial part of the money was made “from my practice days as a private legal practitioner from 1979 –1989”.

Onnoghen has been accused of false and non declaration of assets.
In the document dated January 11, 2019 and entitled ‘Cautionary Statement Form’, the suspended CJN declared: “The deposits made in my US Dollar account No. 87000106250 with STD Chartered Bank of $10,000 at different intervals of 28/6/11 were sourced partly from my reserve and saving from my estacodes, including medical expenses.
“The same applies to my deposit of 27/7/11 of the sum of $10,000 twice.
“It is important to state that prior to my opening the US dollar account, I had foreign currency which I kept at home due to the fact that there existed a government that proscribed the operation of foreign currency account by public officers, including judicial officers.
“It was when I got to know that the policy had changed that I had to open the said account. Upon opening the account, I was made to understand that I cannot pay in more than $10,000 at a time and per payment slip. I cannot remember the total amount I had on reserve at the time, but it spread from my practice days as a private legal practitioner from 1979 –1989.
“Some of the deposits are as a result of forex trading AGRICODE and other investment returns from where proceeds of my investments go into them. The withdrawals in the account are partly to pay children fees and upkeep abroad and further investments.
“My British Pound and Euro accounts with Chartered Standard Bank are savings accounts.
Onnoghen wrote: “I, Walter S. N. Onnoghen of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, hereby voluntarily depose to the statement averred herein knowing that whatever I write or state may be tendered against me as evidence in court. I also volunteer to state that the statement was not taken in evidence from me under duress but after the administering officer has explained and made known the details of the allegations against me.
“My Asset Declaration for Nos. SCN000014 and SCN.0000 5 were declared on the same day, 14th December, 2016, because I forgot to make a declaration of May, 2005 declaration of my assets after the expiration of my 2005 declaration in 2009.
“Following my appointment as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria in November, 2016, the need to declare my asset anew made me to realise the mistake and then did the declarations to cover the period in default.
“I did not include my Standard Chartered Bank Account in SCN. 000014 because I believed they were not opened during the period covered by the declaration; I did not make a fresh declaration of the asset after my substantive appointment as CJN because I was under the impression that my SCN. 000015 was to cover the period of four years which include my leave as CJN.
“The deposits made in my US Dollar account No. 87000106250 with STD Chartered Bank of $10,000 at different intervals of 28/6/11 were sourced partly from my reserve and saving from my estacodes, including medical expenses. The same applies to my deposit of 27/7/11 of the sum of $10,000 twice. It is important to state that prior to my opening the US Dollar account, I had foreign currency which I kept at home due to the fact that there existed a government that proscribed the operation of foreign currency account by public officers, including judicial officers. It was when I got to know that the policy had changed that I had to open the said account. Upon opening the account, I was made to understand that I cannot pay in more than $10,000 at a time and per payment slip. I cannot remember the total amount I had on reserve at the time but it spread from my practice days as a private legal practitioner from 1979 – 1989.
“Some of the deposits are a result of forex trading AGRICODE and other investment returns were from proceeds of my investments into them. The withdrawals in the account are partly to pay children fees and upkeep abroad and further investments. My British Pound and Euro accounts with Chartered Standard Bank are savings accounts.”