EFCC arraigns ex- Ebonyi council chair, 2 others for N25m fraud

The accused persons

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday, arraigned a former Coordinator of Afikpo South Local Government Development Centre of Ebonyi State, Ugwuocha Okoroafor; his treasurer, Christian Chukwu Owo, and the administrative officer, Mrs. Anne Eke Agwu before Justice E.A. Ngene of the State High Court, Afikpo, on a 15-count charge of conspiracy and stealing of public funds totaling N25,000,000.

Okoroafor and his alleged accomplices were said to have at various times between 2013 and 2015 raised vouchers for payments supposedly for contract awards, salaries and independence day celebrations in the names of staff of the council, who denied receiving such funds.

Investigation into the matter which was reported by the Center for Prevention of Corruption and Human Right Initiatives and some staff of the council, revealed that the accused persons padded their salaries and that of other staff in connivance with a staff of the bank where the local Government’s account is domiciled.

The sum of N16,000,000 and N8,000,000 were at different times traced to the accused persons’ accounts which their income profile could not justify.

When the charges were read to them, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting their counsel, M.O. Njoko and B.O Igwenyi (SAN) to ask the court to release them on bail.

The court granted bail to each of the accused persons in the sum of N500,000 and one surety each in like sum. The surety the judge ruled, must be a resident of the state, who has a landed property within the jurisdiction and must present evidence of three years tax payment.

The matter has been adjourned to September 21, 2016 for commencement of trial.

Comments

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...

Global Naija Info

Search This Blog