By Ikechukwu Nnochiri (Vanguard)
ABUJA—A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, 60 days to produce the Certified True Copy, CTC, of an alleged petition that it said culminated in the trial of an ex-Chairman of Adavi Local Government Council of Kogi State, Mr. Raji Owuda Ahmed.
The embattled ex-chairman, who is answering to a 10-count criminal charge preferred against him by the anti-graft agency, was alleged to have siphoned about N590 million from the treasury of the council in two years.
Justice A. A Kafarati, ordered EFCC to produce the substantive petition against the accused person, after listening to the testimony of the alleged petitioner in court yesterday.
The petitioner who was simply identified by the EFCC as a security consultant, yesterday, boasted in court that he single handedly dragged the embattled chairman to court via an alleged resolution he insisted was passed by councillors in that local government, adding that even the Kogi State House of Assembly was intimated about the alleged fraud.
He further told the court yesterday that it was on the basis of his petition, that the accused person was subsequently suspended.
Dissatisfied with the veracity of the allegations, Justice Kafarati ordered EFCC counsel, Mr. Wahab Shittu, to ensure that he produced a CTC of the alleged petition before September 30, which is the next adjourned date.
The former chairman who was on July 7, granted bail to the tune of N1million after he produced two sureties in like sum, had earlier pleaded not guilty to the entire 10-count criminal charge against him.
The charge against him, read thus : “That you Raji Owuda Ahmed while being the chairman of Adavi Local Government of Kogi State on or about July, 2009 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of One Hundred and fifty one million Naira (N151,000,000:00) being proceeds of an illegal act to wit: criminal misappropriation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14(1) (a) of the money Laundering (prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14 (1) of the same Act”.
ABUJA—A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, 60 days to produce the Certified True Copy, CTC, of an alleged petition that it said culminated in the trial of an ex-Chairman of Adavi Local Government Council of Kogi State, Mr. Raji Owuda Ahmed.
The embattled ex-chairman, who is answering to a 10-count criminal charge preferred against him by the anti-graft agency, was alleged to have siphoned about N590 million from the treasury of the council in two years.
Justice A. A Kafarati, ordered EFCC to produce the substantive petition against the accused person, after listening to the testimony of the alleged petitioner in court yesterday.
The petitioner who was simply identified by the EFCC as a security consultant, yesterday, boasted in court that he single handedly dragged the embattled chairman to court via an alleged resolution he insisted was passed by councillors in that local government, adding that even the Kogi State House of Assembly was intimated about the alleged fraud.
He further told the court yesterday that it was on the basis of his petition, that the accused person was subsequently suspended.
Dissatisfied with the veracity of the allegations, Justice Kafarati ordered EFCC counsel, Mr. Wahab Shittu, to ensure that he produced a CTC of the alleged petition before September 30, which is the next adjourned date.
The former chairman who was on July 7, granted bail to the tune of N1million after he produced two sureties in like sum, had earlier pleaded not guilty to the entire 10-count criminal charge against him.
The charge against him, read thus : “That you Raji Owuda Ahmed while being the chairman of Adavi Local Government of Kogi State on or about July, 2009 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of One Hundred and fifty one million Naira (N151,000,000:00) being proceeds of an illegal act to wit: criminal misappropriation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14(1) (a) of the money Laundering (prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14 (1) of the same Act”.
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