The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has yesterday arraigned officials of Bauchi State judiciary over a loan scam amounting to N217 million.
Usman B Abdurahman and Hafizu Dauda the Secretary and Treasurer of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, (AUPCTRE) Judiciary Branch, Bauchi State were arraigned before Justice M. A Sambo of the Bauchi State High Court on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining of goods under false pretence and presenting false documents.
The suspects were arrested following a petition to the EFCC by a top judicial officer alleging that the association entered into contract agreement sometime in 2009 with a company, De-Damak Nigeria Limited to supply 3,000 unit of motorcycles at the cost of N217,000,000 for distribution to its members.
The petitioner informed EFCC in his petition that the agreement was based on a management guarantee and irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO) by the High Court of Bauchi State.
He however stated that many units of the motorcycles were diverted and allegedly sold to M. D. Tofa Investment Limited in Kano and was also discovered that even the few names submitted by the union as beneficiaries of the loan for remittance were fictitious while others were either retired or dead and majority could not be found in the central data base of the Bauchi State civil Service.
According to the charge, the offence committed by the two persons contravenes Section 1 (1) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006.
The defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the charges read against them. In view of their plea, the prosecution counsel Abubakar Aliyu urged the court to fix a date for trial in line with the practice direction of the Bauchi State High Court and also to remand the accused persons in prison custody.
However, the defense counsel Y. A Garkuwa informed the court that he filed a bail application dated 1st March, 2017 and served same to prosecution.
Justice Sambo therefore adjourned the case to Friday March 3, 2017 for consideration of bail application, and March 20, 2017 for trial.
