Alleged $115m fraud: Court orders remand of lawmaker
A lawmaker representing Edu/Moro/Patigi constituency of Kwara state at the House of Representatives, Aliyu Pategi, was at the weekend ordered by a Magistrate Court, Igbosere, Lagos to be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Magistrate, Mrs. Afolashade Botoku, made the remand order on Friday following an application to that effect by the anti graft agency.
The agency had informed the court that Pategi stood surety for a former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, who has a pending criminal charge against her before the Federal High Court in Ibadan.
Akinjinde is being charged by the EFCC for allegedly collecting N650million out of the $115m doled out by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezaani Alison-Madueke, to compromise the 2015 general election.
Aliyu was said to have, on August 10, 2016, entered a bail bond of N650m to secure an administrative bail for Akinjinde, but the former minister was said to have jumped the bail.
Akinjide’s non-appearance had stalled her arraignment in the charge marked FHC/IB/26C/2017 before the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo state with the court threatening to strike out the charge should the EFCC failed to produce her.
On Friday, the EFCC dragged Aliyu before the magistrate court in Lagos, praying for his remand as Akinjide had absconded.
However, the court rejected an oral bail application for Aliyu by his lawyer, Adenrele Adegborioye, who had urged the court to note his client’s status as a serving federal legislator.
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the magistrate that Aliyu entered a bail bond of N650m being the sum allegedly collected by Akinjide from Diezani.
The EFCC, in a 16-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Danladi Daniel, said “That an intelligent report was received sometime in 2016 that Oloye Jumoke Akinjide and others benefited from the total sum of N650m from the proceed of gratification received by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deizani Alison-Madueke, from various oil marketers such as Northern Belt Oil and Gas Company; Actus Integrated Investment Limited and Adesanya Leno Olaitan.”
The EFCC said upon Akinjide’s invitation to its office on August 9, 2016, she volunteered a statement, following which she was released on administrative bail entered by Aliyu on August 10, 2016.
Meanwhile, the Magistrate has adjourned further proceedings in the case till June 20, 2017.
