Ex-Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, rearrested

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday evening rearrested a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, for alleged corruption and obtaining money  by false pretence, otherwise known as 419.

The rearrest came about eight months after a federal court in Abuja ordered him released from detention after he was docked for alleged N6.2billion fraud.

Reliable sources at the EFCC said the retired bureaucrat was picked up from his Abuja residence at about 4.30 pm Wednesday concerning a different case.

Mr. Oronsaye who is already being prosecuted by the EFCC on 24-count charge of money laundering  before a Federal High Court, Abuja, is alleged to have abused his position as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and obtained a sum of N240million from the Central Bank of Nigeria in the guise of assistance to the Committee without the knowledge of other committee members and proceeded to convert the said sum to his personal use.

As at the time of filling this report as at 6:50PM, Mr. Oronsaye, our sources said, was still being grilled by investigators handling his case.

“What we are doing now is simply dotting the ‘I’ and cross the ‘ts’. Investigation is almost concluded and the suspect will be charged to court any time from now,” one of our sources said.

Another source said  a fresh two-count charge had been filed against Mr. Oronsaye  at the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

The charges read, “Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye on or about 12^th June, 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the  Federal Capital Territory whilst being the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N90,000,000.00 ( Ninety Million Naira) committed Breach of Trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 9.0% interest rate in violation of the extant financial regulations

“Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye on or about 30^th December, 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the  Federal Capital Territory whilst being the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N100,000,000.00 ( One Hundred Million Naira) committed Breach of Trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers  Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 12.0% interest rate each  in violation of the extant financial regulations”.