The Independent Corruption Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday re-arraigned a former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero, along with a former Commissioner of Police, John Obaniyi, for alleged N16.4m fraud.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the 10 counts when read to them before Justice Sylvanus Orji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja.
The defendants were initially arraigned on six counts bordering on the said offences in 2012, but the case had been stalled due to the preliminary objection which Ehindero filed challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case after it was amended to 10 charges.
Ehindero and his co-defendant were to be re-arraigned on the amended 10 counts before the process was stalled by the objection filed by the former Inspector-General of Police.
The objection was dismissed by the trial court to the dissatisfaction of the ex-IGP, who appealed against the decision all the way to the Supreme Court.
Ehindero lost at the Court of Appeal and finally at the Supreme Court, which ordered him and his co-defendant to face their trial.
The Supreme Court’s decision paved the way for them to be re-arraigned.
The charges which they pleaded not guilty to on Wednesday border on conspiracy, fraud and making a false statement.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr O.G. Iwuagwu, alleged that the defendants from May 2006 to November 2006, conspired to criminally convert public funds totaling N16,412,315.
The defendants allegedly diverted the said N16.4m described as the interest generated from a total donation of N557,995,065 to the police by the Bayelsa State Government for the procurement of police equipment.
The defendants were said to have placed the money in two fixed deposit accounts at Wema Bank Plc and Intercontinental Bank Plc.
The deposits were said to have yielded a total interest of N16, 412, 315.06.
The prosecution said the alleged offences contravened sections 26(1) and 22(5) of the ICPC Act, 2000.
After the defendants took their pleas on Wednesday, defence lawyers, Mr Messrs Kenneth Onorun and Mr Samuel Obairko, urged the court to uphold the bail granted to the two men when they were first arraigned in 2012.
The judge acceded to the request.
The prosecution had after the arraignment opted to open their case by calling the first witness, but the defence objected on the grounds that the statements of the defendants were not served along with the amended charges.
Justice Orji directed the prosecutor to serve the defence counsel with the statements and then adjourned till January 8 for hearing.
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The duo pleaded not guilty to the 10 counts when read to them before Justice Sylvanus Orji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja.
The defendants were initially arraigned on six counts bordering on the said offences in 2012, but the case had been stalled due to the preliminary objection which Ehindero filed challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case after it was amended to 10 charges.
Ehindero and his co-defendant were to be re-arraigned on the amended 10 counts before the process was stalled by the objection filed by the former Inspector-General of Police.
The objection was dismissed by the trial court to the dissatisfaction of the ex-IGP, who appealed against the decision all the way to the Supreme Court.
Ehindero lost at the Court of Appeal and finally at the Supreme Court, which ordered him and his co-defendant to face their trial.
The Supreme Court’s decision paved the way for them to be re-arraigned.
The charges which they pleaded not guilty to on Wednesday border on conspiracy, fraud and making a false statement.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr O.G. Iwuagwu, alleged that the defendants from May 2006 to November 2006, conspired to criminally convert public funds totaling N16,412,315.
The defendants allegedly diverted the said N16.4m described as the interest generated from a total donation of N557,995,065 to the police by the Bayelsa State Government for the procurement of police equipment.
The defendants were said to have placed the money in two fixed deposit accounts at Wema Bank Plc and Intercontinental Bank Plc.
The deposits were said to have yielded a total interest of N16, 412, 315.06.
The prosecution said the alleged offences contravened sections 26(1) and 22(5) of the ICPC Act, 2000.
After the defendants took their pleas on Wednesday, defence lawyers, Mr Messrs Kenneth Onorun and Mr Samuel Obairko, urged the court to uphold the bail granted to the two men when they were first arraigned in 2012.
The judge acceded to the request.
The prosecution had after the arraignment opted to open their case by calling the first witness, but the defence objected on the grounds that the statements of the defendants were not served along with the amended charges.
Justice Orji directed the prosecutor to serve the defence counsel with the statements and then adjourned till January 8 for hearing.
In this article: