The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Monday, re-arraigned Abubakar Sambo, the director of Finance and Account of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for alleged N1.84 billion fraud.
Mr Sambo was re-arraigned before Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja on a three-count charge for allegedly diverting the funds to personal accounts.
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He, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts.
His lawyer, Y. D. Dangana, asked the court to allow Mr Sambo to continue to enjoy bail terms as earlier granted by a sister court. ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, did not oppose the application.
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Justice Liman, therefore, admitted the defendant to the earlier bail conditions granted by Justice Bolaji Olajuwon.
The judge adjourned the matter until 2 April for the commencement of trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Olajuwon of a FHC in Abuja had, on 24 June 2024, granted Mr Sambo bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in the like sum.
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The judge held that the sureties must have landed property within the court’s jurisdiction with original certificates of occupancy (CofO), which must be deposited with the deputy chief registrar of the court.
She equally ordered the sureties to provide affidavits of their tax clearance in the last three years with one passport photograph each.
Justice Olajuwon adjourned the matter until 17 October for trial commencement.
However, the judge was transferred to another division of the court, making the case start afresh.
NAN reports that the anti-corruption commission had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/209/2024, sued Abubakar Sambo as sole defendant.
In the charge dated 8 May 2024, but filed 10 May 2024 by Mr Akponimisingha, an assistant chief legal officer in the commission, the ICPC alleged that Mr Sambo sometime in March 2023 or thereabout while being the Payment Finalizer on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform of REA did finalise the payment of the total sum of N1.84 billion (N1,835,000,000.00).
It alleged that the funds were done in different tranches for the use of Henrrientta Okojie, Asuni Aminat, Usman Kwakwa, Laure Abduilahi, Emmanuel Titus and Musa Karaye for a purported project supervision exercise without requisite approval, thereby contributing to the economic adversity of the REA.
The commission said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 68 of the Public Enterprise Regulatory Commission Act, CAP. P39, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
In count two, Mr Sambo was accused of using his access password to access the REA’s GIFMIS platform and finalise the payment of N1.84 billion in different tranches for the use of Messrs Okojie, Aminat, Kwakwa, Abdullahi, Titus and Karaye for a purported project supervision exercise without authority.
The offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 6(4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015.
In count three, Mr Sambo was alleged to have conferred corrupt advantage on Okojie, Aminat, Kwakwa, Abdullahi, Titus and Karaye when he used his access password to access the REA’s GIFMIS platform and finalised the payment of N1.84 billion in different tranches for their use for a purported project supervision exercise without requisite approvals.
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The ICPC said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
NAN reports that Karaye, Titus and Okojie were also arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of a sister court on a separate four-count charge preferred against them.
While Karaye and Titus were arraigned before Justice Nwite on 13 June 2024, Okojie was arraigned on 14 June 2024.
Usman Kwakwa was also arraigned on 13 June 2024 on separate criminal charge before the judge and all of them were admitted to N50 million each with two sureties each in the like sum.
In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/203/24 filed against Ms Okojie, she was alleged to have in count one, sometime in March 2023 or thereabout, with intent to defraud the REA, received N342 million in different tranches through her Access Bank Account: 0009022275 under the false pretence of project supervision.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
(NAN)
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