The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wednesday
re-arrested a former Administrative Secretary at the Kwara State
office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr
Christian Nwosu.
He was arrested after Wednesday’s proceedings in another
criminal case at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
EFCC charged Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir with receiving
N30million bribe from former Petroleum Minister Mrs Diezani
Alison-Madueke to rig the 2015 election result.
They were arraigned along with Yisa Adedoyin, who pleaded guilty
to receiving cash payment of N70, 050,000.00 from Mrs.
Alison-Madueke.
Mrs Alison-Madueke is also named in the charge, but is said to
be “at large”.
Nwosu pleaded guilty when he was first arraigned, but changed
his plea to not guilty after claiming EFCC induced him to plead
guilty.
Yesterday, EFCC’s investor Usman Zakari tendered Nwosu’s account
statements showing details of the N30million.
The witness said Nwosu received N17million in his Diamond Bank
Plc account and N13million in his Union Bank Plc account.
Zakari also tendered some title documents of land allegedly
acquired by Nwosu with some of the funds.
After the documents were admitted in evidence, the prosecution
closed its case.
Defence counsel Victor Opara said his client would file a
no-case submission, meaning they do not intend to call any witness
to defend the case because they believe the prosecution’s case is
weak.
After the proceedings, Nwosu and his co-accused were
arrested.
It was learnt that their arrest was in connection to a fresh
finding by EFCC that they allegedly diverted N450million to a
company called Advaita Nigeria Limited through an INEC cashier.
Bashir is said to be a director in the company.
EFCC said Nwosu is a signatory to an account where the money was
hidden, and that his wife benefited N11.8million.
The commission said Bashir got N25million through a company
called Heiza Nigeria owned by his relative, Saliu Yakubu.
Nwosu had claimed that the N30 million he collected was for
logistics purposes during the election, and that his office knew
how the money was spent.
He also said the money was shared to INEC ad-hoc staff for
logistics.
Nwosu had earlier claimed that EFCC allegedly forced him to
surrender his property worth N30million, and that he was induced to
part with N5million in a bid to regain his freedom.
According to him, the statements he made at EFCC were dictated
to him while the one he made voluntarily was described as
“rubbish”.
Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned till March 7 for hearing of the
no-case submission.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wednesday
re-arrested a former Administrative Secretary at the Kwara State
office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr
Christian Nwosu.
He was arrested after Wednesday’s proceedings in another
criminal case at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
EFCC charged Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir with receiving
N30million bribe from former Petroleum Minister Mrs Diezani
Alison-Madueke to rig the 2015 election result.
They were arraigned along with Yisa Adedoyin, who pleaded guilty
to receiving cash payment of N70, 050,000.00 from Mrs.
Alison-Madueke.
Mrs Alison-Madueke is also named in the charge, but is said to
be “at large”.
Nwosu pleaded guilty when he was first arraigned, but changed
his plea to not guilty after claiming EFCC induced him to plead
guilty.
Yesterday, EFCC’s investor Usman Zakari tendered Nwosu’s account
statements showing details of the N30million.
The witness said Nwosu received N17million in his Diamond Bank
Plc account and N13million in his Union Bank Plc account.
Zakari also tendered some title documents of land allegedly
acquired by Nwosu with some of the funds.
After the documents were admitted in evidence, the prosecution
closed its case.
Defence counsel Victor Opara said his client would file a
no-case submission, meaning they do not intend to call any witness
to defend the case because they believe the prosecution’s case is
weak.
After the proceedings, Nwosu and his co-accused were
arrested.
It was learnt that their arrest was in connection to a fresh
finding by EFCC that they allegedly diverted N450million to a
company called Advaita Nigeria Limited through an INEC cashier.
Bashir is said to be a director in the company.
EFCC said Nwosu is a signatory to an account where the money was
hidden, and that his wife benefited N11.8million.
The commission said Bashir got N25million through a company
called Heiza Nigeria owned by his relative, Saliu Yakubu.
Nwosu had claimed that the N30 million he collected was for
logistics purposes during the election, and that his office knew
how the money was spent.
He also said the money was shared to INEC ad-hoc staff for
logistics.
Nwosu had earlier claimed that EFCC allegedly forced him to
surrender his property worth N30million, and that he was induced to
part with N5million in a bid to regain his freedom.
According to him, the statements he made at EFCC were dictated
to him while the one he made voluntarily was described as
“rubbish”.
Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned till March 7 for hearing of the
no-case submission.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/diezani-cash-efcc-re-arrests-ex-inec-chief-for-diverting-n450m/