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Hanrrietta Okojie, an official of the Account and Finance Division of the Rural Electrification Company (REA), was arraigned on Friday on the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja, over her alleged involvement in a N1.85 billion fraud.
The Unbiased Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offences Fee (ICPC) arraigned Ms Okojie on 4 counts earlier than the trial choose, Emeka Nwite.
It got here a few week after ICPC arraigned one other company official, Usman Kwakwa, on related prices earlier than the identical choose.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the intensive fraud allegedly perpetrated by some officers on the company final 12 months.
ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, knowledgeable the courtroom at Friday’s proceedings that the matter was scheduled for Ms Okojie to take her plea.
The anti-corruption fee’s lawyer utilized for the June 6 bench warrant to be vacated in opposition to the defendant since she was in courtroom on Friday. The choose, Mr Nwite, granted the request.
Ms Okojie pleaded not responsible to all the fees learn to her on Friday.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr Akponimisingha, utilized for a trial date.
However Ms Okojie’s lawyer, Ishiaku Garba, informed the courtroom {that a} bail software had been filed and served on the prosecution on 11 June.
Mr Akponimisingha mentioned although the defence served the appliance on his workplace on Tuesday, he solely noticed it on Thursday and would wish time to reply.
“My lord, on June 12 was a public vacation, and I couldn’t have come to the workplace,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he must be allowed to reply within the curiosity of honest listening to,
The choose agreed that the prosecution must be given time to answer the bail plea.
Mr Nwite, who remanded Ms Okojie in Suleja Correctional Centre, adjourned the bail software listening to till 20 June 20 and glued 10 July for trial.
The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) stories that Justice Nwite had, on 6 June, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Okojie, Musa Karaye and Emmanuel Pada for failure to look in courtroom for his or her arraignment.
The choose gave the order after Mr Akponimisingha moved an oral software.
He then mounted Ms Okojie’s matter till at the moment (Friday) for ICPC to supply her in courtroom. The courtroom additionally mounted Karaye’s and Panda’s circumstances for 13 June (Thursday).
The ICPC had filed separate circumstances of 4 prices every in opposition to the affected officers, together with Usman Ahmed Kwakwa, over allegations of misappropriation of public funds meant to offer electrical energy to rural communities throughout the nation.
Within the cost marked FHC/ABJ/CR/203/24, ICPC accused Ms Okojie in depend one which someday in March 2023 she, with intent to defraud the REA, obtained the sum of N342 million in numerous tranches by means of her Entry Financial institution Account: 0009022275 underneath the false pretence of undertaking supervision.
The offence is claimed to be opposite to Part 1(1)(a) and punishable underneath part 1(3) of the Advance Fraud and Different Fraud Associated Offences Act, 2006.
NAN stories that the whole quantity allegedly obtained fraudulently by all of the accused officers was about N1.85 billion.
(NAN)
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