FG arraigns Oyo-Ita over N469m corruption allegation

.Court admits her to N100m bail

The Federal Government on Monday arraigned the former Head of Service of the Federation Mrs. Winfred Oyo-Ita and eight others on 18 count charge before the Federal High Court Abuja for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government to the tune of N469, 633,294.4 million while in office.

Trial Court judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo however admitted Oyo-Ita, the first defendant to bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties in like sum.

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Garba Umar the 4th defendant and Ubong Okon Effiok the 7th defendant were admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million and two sureties each in like sum.

The court entered pleas of not guilty for the rest six defendants who are corporate bodies.  There are: Frontline Ace Global Service Ltd, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, Gooddeal Investment Limited, U & U Global Services Limited and Prince Mega Logistics Limited.

Justice Taiwo temporarily released the defendants to their lawyers for seven days within which they are to perfect their bails failing which they will be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

The judge also ordered that the defendants’ passports should be deposited with the Court registrar pending their trial. He also ordered that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below the grade 17 in the Federal civil service while one must own a property located within the jurisdiction Abuja and to be verified by the deputy court registrar.

The judge gave the orders while ruling on the oral applications moved by the defendants’ lawyers: Paul Erokoro (SAN) for Oyo-Ita, A. Ananukwa for Umar and Okechukwu Ajonwa for Ubong Okon Effiok.

Earlier, after the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, prayed the court for dates to call witnesses and with the consent of the lawyers, the judge adjourned trial for May 27, 28 and June 2, 3 and 4, 2020.

Paul Erokoro (SAN), Ananukwa and Ajonwa, who had filed bail applications on behalf of their clients, withdrew their applications when it became clear that the prosecution was not opposed to the defendants’ oral bail applications.

Erokoro (SAN) had pleaded with the Court to take cognizance of the health issue in the country – the raging coronavirus pandemic and to admit the defendants to bail in very liberal terms so that they would attend trial from their homes.

Though the prosecution did not oppose the defendants’ lawyers applications, he urged the court to impose conditions that would compel the defendants particularly Oyo-Ita to attend trial because of her antecedent and conducts.

“We appreciate that we are living in very health challenges times. In the light of this, we have discussed with the defendants’ counsel whose clients are on administrative bail, we are not to oppose to their bail applications,” he stated.

Abubakar therefore urged the court to take into consideration in deciding the applications the nature of the offences which bordered on corruption and impose terms and conditions that will ensure that they did not jump bail.

One of the 18 charge read thus: That you Winfred Oyo-Ita (whilst serving as a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Power) and Frontline ACE Global Services Limited (a company incorporated in Nigeria and of which Winfred Oyo-Ita is the sole signatory of its bank accounts at Zenith bank)  sometime in April, 2010 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court collaborated in disguising the genuine ownership of an aggregate sum of N20,000,000 .00 paid by the Federal Ministry of Power into the Zenith Bank account  of Frontline Ace Global Services Limited No 1011518656 which sum was derived directly from an illegal act, to wit:corruption and you hereby committed an offence punishable under section 14(1)(b)  of the Money laundering (Prohibition Act 2004.

While count 10 read thus: That you Winfred Oyo-Ita  (whilst being the Head of Civil Service of the Federation)  on or about 8th July,  2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court took control of the sum of  N54,285,714.29 paid by the Federal Ministry of Power, Work and Housing through the bank account of Ad-Botog International Limited (a company promoted by one Prince Tope Ogundele) as part payment for a contract( the reward of which was facilitated by you) when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the  proceed of an unlawfully activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d)  of the Money laundering (Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended)  and punishable under section 15(3)of same Act.