The anti-graft agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday re-arraigned a former Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla, accused of committing a N10.1 million fraud.
Obono-Obla, a former Chairman of the disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), was also charged before a Federal Capital Territory High Court with failure to honour ICPC invitation.
Arraigned along with Obono-Obla is a Senior Assistant Special Duties (Protocol), Aliyu Ibrahim.
On January 22 this year, the former SPIP chairman was arraigned before the court alongside Ibrahim and the Managing Director of ABR Global Petroleum Resources Limited, Daniel Omughele on a 10-court charge bordering on diversion of N19.9million meant for the furnishing the SPIP office.
The ICPC counsel, Olusola Bayeshea, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the court of an application by the complainant seeking to amend the charges against the defendants.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi who granted the application, ordered the third defendant to be discharged.
When the amended charge was read to the two defendants, they pleaded not guilty.
The ICPC alleged that Obono-Obla and Ibrahim conspired and conferred unfair advantage on the second defendant by diverting N10.2 million.
The ant-graft agency alleged the money was part of the N15.1 million meant for some contractors by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for furnishing of the SPIP offices.The money was said to have been diverted into the account of ABR Global Petroleum Resources Limited where Ibrahim is a director and signatory to.
The agency said by this act the defendants committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The anti-graft agency also accused the former SPIP chairman of refusing to honour an invitation in July, 2018.
This, the ICPC said, was contrary to Section 28(1)(a) and punishable under Section 28(10) of the ICPC Act.
The matter was adjourned to May 24, May 26 and May 27 for hearing. (NAN)
