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N5.2bn power scam: EFCC freezes contractors’ accounts

Posted by chuks ezeh on May 18, 2009 at 10:08pm
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has obtained a court order to freeze the accounts of the companies used for the contracts for which the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Nicholas Ugbane, and nine others are being prosecuted. The order was obtained at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an ex parte application.The EFCC’s lawyer, Chief Godwin Obla, had argued the application while Justice Anwuli Chikere granted the freezing order.Also, an Abuja High Court had on Monday, remanded Ugbane, and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and eight others at Kuje Prison, Abuja till June 4 when it would rule on their bail applications.The accused are standing trial for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N5.2bn.Also taken to Kuje were the Director-General of the Rural Electrification Agency, Samuel Gekpe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Abdulahi Aliyu, Simon Nanle, Lawrence Orekoya, Abdulsalmad Jahun, Kayode Oyedeji, Igwe Paulinus and Jibo Mohammed.All the suspects had filed separate applications for bail which were argued on Monday by their lawyers.The accused had claimed that they were entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence at the trial stage.Having listened to the argument of the parties Justice Adebukonla Banjoko said she had a tight case load and that the earliest date she could rule on the bail applications was June 4.She, however, said that if she was able to write her ruling earlier than June 4, she would communicate unto the parties.Her decision to adjourn the case till to June 4 left all the suspects dejected while their relatives who had come to court hoping that the suspects would be granted bail could not hide their disappointment.The wife of one of the suspects, Jibo Mohammed, who is also the deputy chairman of House Committee on Power, broke down in tears when her husband was being driven to Kuje prison. With her baby in her hand, she wept uncontrollably.Opposing the bail applications, the EFCC’s lawyer, Obla, said that the evidence against the suspects amounted to about 513 pages.He said, “The cheques used in effecting the withdrawals are serially displayed.“Statements of witnesses show the meetings between the accused persons.”He also argued that most of the offences for which the accused were charged were economic and financial crimes, and abuse of office which were species or derivatives of corruption.Obla told the court that there was a high tendency that the accused would tamper with investigations.According to him, the commission is still investigating other offences that have been committed by the suspects and that to release them on bail means that they will stifle further investigation.
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