Corruption: Court Defers Ex-President Jonathan’s Aide, Kingsley Kuku’s Arraignment to April 20
Taiwo Owoeye
The arraignment of the trio of Kingsley Kuku, former Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan; Lawrence Pepple, Technical Assistant on Reintegration to the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Henry Nonso Ugbolue, Special Assistant, Media & Communication to the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, slated for Tuesday has been fixed for April 20, 2016 as the trial judge was said to be away to attend the ongoing Judges’ Conference.
The accused persons were to be docked on two separate charges bordering criminal conspiracy, false declaration of assets and fraudulent acquisition of property against the accused before Justice M. M. Kolo of the Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.
Kuku and Ugbolue are alleged to have conspired among themselves and awarded contracts running into millions to companies in which they had interests. Ugbolue is the sole signatory of Great & Gamaliel Alliance Limited, the company which provided integrated management of communications and stakeholders’ engagement chain for the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta.
Pepple is director and sole signatory for KER Global Wave limited which was awarded a contract to provide Reintegration Support Services by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta under the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
Particulars of count two of the charge read:
“Kingsley Kuku while being the special adviser to the president on Niger Delta and Henry Nonso Ogbolue whilst being employed as a public servant as special assistant (media and communication) to the special adviser to the president on Niger Delta on about 26th day of November, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did criminally conspired between yourselves and awarded a contract worth N27, 382, 952. 47 to provide integrated management of communications and stakeholders’ engagement chain for the office of the special adviser to the president on Niger Delta to Great & Gamaliel Alliance Ltd (wherein Henry Nonso Ogbolue is the sole signatory to the account of the Great nad Gamaliel Alliance Ltd).”
