EFCC Docks CCT Official For N3.6m Fraud
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Nigeria anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Ali Gambo Abdullahi, a staff of Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Abuja, before Justice C. N Orji of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said, Abdullahi’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed a petition from one Rasheed O. Taiwo, who claimed that he paid a bribe of N1.8million to Mr. Danladi Umar, chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja through the accused.
Taiwo alleged that, Umar who claimed to be presiding over a case in which he was involved, demanded a N10m (ten million naira) bribe as “settlement”, to give him a clean bill of health.
The petitioner further alleged that, after several negotiations, he paid N1.8m (one million, eight hundred thousand naira) as initial deposit, into the account of Ali Gambo Abdulllahi, in one of the new generation banks.
Count one reads:
“That you, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, sometime in August, 2013 at Abuja, within the judicial division of this Honourable Court did make a statement to one ABULMAJID IBRAHIM (A detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) while in the course of the exercise of the duty of his office that the sum of One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (1, 800,000.00) paid into your Zenith account number 1002849471 on 12th December, 2012 by one Rasheed Owolabi was a payment made to assist you settle your father’s medical bill which statement you knew to be untrue and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 39 (2) (A) of the Economic and Financial Crimes act, 2004 and punishable under Section 39 (2) (B) of the same Act”.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his plea, counsel to EFCC, Andrew Akoja, asked the court for a trial date to present his witnesses.
However, the defence counsel, A. F Attah, urged the court to admit his client to bail saying, the accused person is a senior officer in the civil service adding that, as a responsible officer, he would not do anything to frustrate his trial.
Justice Orji admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of N5m (five million naira) and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a GL 16 officer in the civil service and the other must have landed property in Abuja .
The case has been adjourned to October 21 and 22, 2015 for commencement of trial.