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| Audu |
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| Alfa Mustapha |
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC on Monday March 18, 2013 arraigned the former governor of Kogi State,
Prince Abubakar Audu alongside a former Director General of the Directorate of
Rural Development in his administration, Alfa Ibn Mustapha before Justice A.O.
Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory,
Abuja
The duo were arraigned on a 36-count
charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public
funds to the tune of N10,965,837,040 (Ten Billion, Nine Hundred and
Sixty-Five Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira, Forty Kobo)
Audu and his co-accused pleaded not
guilty to the charge when it was read to them, prompting the prosecution
counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN to request for a date for the commencement of
trial.
One of the charges read: “that you Prince
Abubakar Audu and Alfa Ibn Mustapha between 2000 and 2002 at Abuja in the Abuja
judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory while
being the governor of Kogi state and Director General of Kogi State Directorate
of Rural Development respectively, and in such capacities entrusted with
dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregated sum of N2,877, 487,690.88
meant for rural development in Kogi State committed criminal breach of trust in
respect of the said sum which you falsely claim to be payment made to Aresanmi
Technical Industries Limited in respect of the contract allegedly awarded Kogi
State Directorate of Rural Development to the said Aresanmi Technical
Industries Limited and you thereby committed an offence punishable under
Section 315 of the Penal Code, CAP 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990”.
However, counsel to the first accused,
Mike Ozekhome, SAN, prayed the court to allow his client to return home on bail
pending trial. He argued that the accused would make himself available for
trial and that he would not jump bail. Counsel to the second accused, Prince
Orji Nwafor Orizu also made the same plea for bail saying the two accused have
been on administrative bail. But prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN
opposed the oral application, insisting that a formal application should be
presented before the court.
Justice Adeniyi however granted bail to
the accused persons in the sum of N100million and a surety in like sum. The
surety must have a property within the jurisdiction of the court with proof of
ownership. The surety must also produce evidence of tax payment for the past 3
years, and must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
The judge adjourned the case to May 2 and 3,
2013 for trial.
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