News
Prosecutors oppose dismissing Trump’s hush money case
Prosecutors who secured Donald Trump’s conviction over a hush money payment to a porn star opposed on Tuesday his stated hope to have the case dismissed now that he is president-elect and asked a judge to set a schedule to litigate the matter.
Trump, 78, had been scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26, but New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan last week put all proceedings in the case on pause at the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
The prosecutors said they would accept a delay but asked Merchan to set a deadline for Trump to formally seek dismissal of the case. The prosecutors suggested that they then be given until Dec. 9 to oppose Trump’s bid.
They also said consideration must be given to deferring all proceedings until after Trump finishes his four-year presidential term that begins on Jan. 20, but stopped short of explicitly endorsing that option.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, in a statement called Bragg’s position “a total and definitive victory” for Trump.
Trump, president from 2017-2021, is hoping to enter office for a second term unencumbered by any of the four criminal cases he has faced and which some opponents had predicted would derail his 2024 candidacy to return to the White House.
The Republican Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump, who denies it.
It was the first time a U.S. president – former or sitting – had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offense.
The prosecutors had asked for more time to consider next steps in the case, citing the need to balance the “competing interests” between having the criminal case go forward and protecting the office of the president.
Trump pleaded not guilty in the case, which he has long portrayed as a politically motivated attempt by Bragg, a Democrat, to interfere with his campaign.
His defense lawyers urged Merchan to dismiss the case, arguing that having it loom over him while he was president would cause what they called “unconstitutional impediments” to his ability to govern.
Trump’s lawyers also argued his conviction should be vacated and the charges dismissed because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in July that presidents cannot be prosecuted over their official acts, and that evidence of their official acts cannot be used in trials over personal behavior.
Bragg’s office said that its case dealt with purely personal conduct.
Falsification of business records is punishable by up to four years in prison. Before he was elected, experts said it was unlikely – but not impossible – that Trump would face time behind bars, with punishments such as a fine or probation seen as more likely.
Trump’s victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election made the prospect of imposing a sentence of jail or probation even more politically fraught and impractical, given that a sentence could have impeded his ability to conduct the duties of the presidency.
Trump was charged in three additional state and federal cases in 2023, one involving classified documents he kept after leaving office and two others involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
A Florida-based federal judge in July dismissed the documents case. The Justice Department is now evaluating how to wind down the federal election-related case. Trump also faces state criminal charges in Georgia over his bid to reverse his 2020 loss in that state, but the case remains in limbo.
As president, Trump would have no power to shut down the New York or Georgia cases because they were filed in state courts. His Justice Department may close the federal cases.
The Federal Government has allocated a total of N6,364,181,224 billion for the renovation and rehabilitation of the residential quarters of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and some of their aides in the 2025 budget proposal.
Sunday PUNCH’s analysis of the proposed allocation, contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, showed that the annual maintenance of the Presidential Villa would gulp N5.49bn.
According to the proposed budget, N765m will be used for the renovation of the Vice President’s quarters and guest house.
The renovation of the president’s quarters at the State House will cost N6.39m, while the renovation of security quarters, auditorium, gymnasium and presidential aides’ quarters will cost N49m.
In addition, the renovation of Prescott barracks at Maple State House officers’ mess building and signal office in Asokoro, Abuja will cost N51m.
Further analysis of the budget revealed that Tinubu and his vice are also expected to have N87m as honorarium and sitting allowances, while N127m was allocated for the procurement of SUVs.
Also, N3.66bn was budgeted for the purchase of State House operational vehicles and N1,09bn will be spent on replacement of SUV vehicles at the State House.
Under the budget of the State House Lagos Liaison Office, there is an allocation of N14.72m for the routine maintenance of State House Lagos facilities (Dodan Barracks, Vice President guest houses at Ikoyi, among others).
Another N140.10m was allocated for the completion of renovation and furnishing of the State House annex (Dodan Barracks), Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning to spend N1.83bn on converting forfeited properties from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into State House quarters.
The plan to convert forfeited houses from the EFCC comes in the same month that the commission disclosed the recovery of an estate in the Lokogoma District of Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.
The commission described this as its “single largest asset recovery” since its inception in 2003.
The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 of the district, and was forfeited in a ruling on Monday, December 2, 2024, by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
(Punch)
WHEN we look at this month, USD was traded at ₦ at the beginning of this December on Monday, December 2, 2024. As at today with USD being traded at ₦1,655 we see a % for United States Dollar to Naira exchange rate for this month.
On this page, we are primarily focusing on the Black Market Dollar To Naira Exchange Rate Today, the USD to Naira currency pair are the most traded currency in the FX market.
Black Market Exchange Rates
Buying Rate
Selling Rate
Dollar to Naira 1655 1640
Pounds to Naira 2150 2000
Euro to Naira 1730 1700
Canadian Dollar to Naira 1146 1135
Rand to Naira 52 43
Dirham to Naira 0 0
Yuan to Naira 62 62
G.Cedi to Nair 70 50
CFA F. (XOF) To Naira 0.83 0.81
CFA F. (XAF) To Naira 0.74 0.74
READ ALSO: INSIDE LIFE: 26-Year-Old Lady Died In Bangladesh With No One To Claim Her Body, She Is A Nigerian From Enugu (SEE PHOTO)
Having full knowledge how much USD to NGN black market exchange rate today will give you a better opportunity to plan and make informed decisions.
Nairatoday.com
Passengers of a train plying the Warri-Itakpe route escaped death on Sunday as the train derailed at Okpara in the Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered that the passengers were stranded following the incident that happened at about 10pm.
According to eyewitness accounts, some of the passengers got to their destinations on Monday morning.
“The incident happened at Okpara Station last night. They stole many people’s phones and other valuables when they slept at night,” a source said.
“It’s this morning that everybody began to find their way to their various destinations.”
The Nigerian Railway Corporation confirmed the incident in a statement by its spokesman, Yakub Mahmood on Monday.
Mahmood said the service will resume shortly, adding that a team of engineers is at the site of the incident to ensure the track is restored soon.
According to him, the train service will resume as scheduled on Monday afternoon.
The statement reads in part, “The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) hereby informs the general public, especially our valued passengers that ply the Warri-Itakpe route, that following the minor derailment yesterday at the Okpara station, the service will resume shortly as our team of engineers are at the site of the accident to ensure the track is restored anytime soon.
“However, Itakpe-Warri (Ujewu) train will resume as scheduled in the afternoon today.
“All inconveniences caused as a result of the minor derailment is highly regretted.”
Renovation: Tinubu, Shettima’s official quarters to gulp N6.36bn
SEE NAIRA Rates Against The USD, GBP, EURO Today December 23, 2024
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