The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday, July 28, 2016
arraigned a former Coordinator of Afikpo South Local Government Development
Center of Ebonyi state, Ugwuocha Okoroafor; his treasurer, Christian Chukwu Owo, and the administrative officer, Mrs. Anne
Eke Agwu before Justice E.A. Ngene of the State High Court, Afikpo, on a
15- count charge of conspiracy and stealing of public funds totaling over
N25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five Million Naira).
Okoroafor
and his alleged accomplices were said to have at various times between 2013 and
2015 raised vouchers for payments supposedly for contract awards,
salaries and independence day celebrations in the names of staff of the council,
who denied receiving such funds.
Investigation
into the matter which was reported by Center for Prevention of Corruption and
Human Right Initiatives and some staff of the council, revealed that the
accused persons padded their salaries and that of other staff in connivance
with a staff of the bank where the local Government’s account is
domiciled .
The
sum of N16, 000,000 and N8, 000,000 were at different times traced to the accused
person’s account which their income profile could not justify.
When
the charges were read to them, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the
charges, prompting counsel to the
accused persons, M.O. Njoko and B.O Igwenyi
(SAN) to ask the court to release their clients on bail.
The
court granted bail to each of the accused persons in the sum of N500,000
and one surety each in like sum. The surety the Judge ruled, must
be a resident of the state, who has a landed property within the jurisdiction
and must present evidence of three years tax payment.
The
matter has been adjourned to September 21, 2016 for commencement of trial.
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