Alleged N10.174m: ICPC rearraigns Obono-Obla, one other

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Wednesday, rearraigned the former Chairman of the disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla for alleged fraud and failure to honour the invitation by the Commission.

Obono-Obla was rearraigned alongside his Senior Assistant Special Duties (Protocol), Aliyu Ibrahim, on a five-court charge bordering on conspiracy, diversion of public fund, conferment of unfair advantage and failure to honour the invitation by the anti-graft agency before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Maitama, Abuja.

The former SPIP chairman was on January 22 arraigned before the court alongside Ibrahim and Managing Director of ABR Global Petroleum Resources Limited. Daniel Omughele on a 10-court charge bordering on diversion of N19.9million meant for furnishing the SPIP office.

At the resumed hearing of the case, on Wednesday, the prosecuting counsel, John Olusola Bayeshea SAN, informed the court of an application by the complainant, seeking the leave of the court to amend the charges against the defendants.

With no objection from the counsels for the defendants, Justice Adeniyi granted the application as prayed.

Having granted the application, the judge then discharged the third defendant, Daniel Omughele, which elicited a little drama as he raised his two hands and prostrated before the court when leaving the dock.

When the amended charge was read to the two defendants, they pleaded not guilty.

The ICPC alleged that both Obono-Obla and Ibrahim conspired among themselves to confer an unfair advantage on the second defendant by diverting the sum of N10,174,000 being part of the N15,187,917 paid to some contractors by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for furnishing SPIP offices into the account of ABR Global Petroleum Resources Ltd, where Ibrahim is a director and signatory to its account.

The agency said by this, the defendants committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The former SPIP chairman was accused to have in July 2018 failed to honour an invitation from an officer of ICPC to assist in the investigation for the purpose of examination in relation to the allegations against him, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 28(1)(a) and punishable under Section 28(10) of the ICPC Act.

Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned till May 24, 26 and 27 for hearing.

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Alleged N10.174m: ICPC rearraigns Obono-Obla, one other