CJ ASSIGNS N170M GRAFT CHARGE AGAINST OGBULAFOR, TWO OTHER
PDP National Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor
The Chief Judge of the Abuja High Court, Justice Lawal Gumi, has assigned the N170m graft charge against National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Prince Vincent Ogbulafor and two others.
Investigation carried out by our correspondent, however, showed that no date has been fixed for the trial of the allegations filed by the Indepdent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission and assigned to Justice Ishaq Bello. A source at the court told our correspondent that the arraignment may take place on Friday (tomorrow) or next week.
In the charge, Ogbulafor was said to have fraudulently received the sum of N170m while he was the Minister of Special Duties.
The offences were allegedly committed by Ogbulafor and others charged with him in March 2001.
Others charged with him are Secretary/Member of the National Economic Intelligence Committee, Emeka Ebilah and Emmanuel Bosah and Director, Budget Implementation, Federal Ministry of Finance.
Count one of the charges reads, 'That you Vincent Ogbulafor , Emeka Ebilah and Emmanuel Bosah in the month of March 2001, being public officers, to wit; Minister In Charge of Special Duties, Secretary/Memebr of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC) and Director, Budget Implementation, Federal Ministry of Finance respectively, did use your positions to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by fraudulently receiving for yourselves through a proxy Henry Ikoh, the sum of N82,631,03.41 from the Federal Government of Nigeria in the name of a company Henchriko Nigeria Limited as payment for a fictitious contract purportedly executed for the Federal Government of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
Ogbulafor and the two other suspects were also accused of conspiracy to use NEIC's contract verification panel to verify a fictitious contract purportedly executed on behalf of the Federal Government by Henchriko Nig. Ltd. from which they received the sum of N82m.
The PDP Chairman was also accused of using his position as minister of Special Duties to confer corrupt advantage upon himself by fraudulently receiving from the Federal Government the sum of N11.5m as payment for a fictitious contract. The said money was allegedly received through a proxy, Chris Abuajah, in the name of a company, DHL Consultants.
In count five, the trio were accused of using their positions to confer corrupt advantage on themselves by fraudulently receiving from the Federal Government through a proxy, Sunday Nmesirianye, the sum of N13. 7m in the name of Emeprol Co. Limited.
They are also accused of fraudulently receiving N6.2m from the Federal Government through a proxy, Chekwas Obinna, using the name of a company Chekwas Industries Limited, as payment for a fictitious contract executed on behalf of the Federal Government.
Out of the 16 count- charge filed against the suspects, Ogbulafor will answer to 12.
In October 2001, Ogbulafor was said to have received the sum of N28m belonging to the Federal Government from one Emeka Ebilah through a proxy, Chris Nwoke, knowing same to be fraudulently obtained through the verification and payment of fictitious contracts purportedly executed on behalf of the Federal Government, an act which constituted a felony contrary to Section 13 read in conjunction with Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
Meanwhile, Ogbulafor, has called on God to intervene in the crisis currently rocking the party.
Ogbulafor also said that it was apparent that a devil had come to visit the party but said that he would be defeated.