N77.8m fraud: Court remands ex-Edo SSG, three others

Source: pointblanknews.com

A High Court of Edo State Monday remanded a former secretary to the state government (SSG) Mr. Simon Imuekemhe for a N77.8 million fraud in the state Universal Basic Education board.

Remanded alongside the SSG were Joseph Emoabino, David Igbiniba, and Aghator Efea, former chairman, secretary, and Director of Finance and Accounts of the board respectively.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had recently arraigned the four former top government officials on an eight count charge of corrupt practices and other related offences.

The offences, argued EFCC, ran foul of section 22 (5) of the EFCC Act 2000.

When the matter came up on Monday, counsel to the defendants prayed the judge to uphold the administrative bail granted by the EFCC to the defendant.

Counter-arguing, the prosecuting counsel, Larry Peter Aso prayed the court to stipulate fresh conditions for granting the accused bail since, according to him, all previous conditions for bail had lapsed.

The trial judge, Justice Edigin. ordered that all accused persons be remanded in prison pending the hearing of bail application, even as he adjourned the case to March 14.