Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), on Wednesday, November 5, 2014
arraigned Phina Chidi, a former Assistant Director,
Pension Department, Office of the Head of Service
of the Federation of Nigeria, Franklin Nwankwo
and Pam Investment Properties before Justice
Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court on a
15-count charge of obtaining by false pretence
and money laundering to the tune of N1.6 billion
and $2 million.
Chidi was initially charged alongside Shuaibu Sani
Teidi, former director, Pension Accounts, Office of
the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria
before Justice Adamu Bello.
Her re-arrangement followed the ruling of the
court to split the charge in order to have each
accused person stand separate trial for their
alleged involvement in the pension scam.
Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Phina
Chidi ( while serving as Assistant Director,
Pension Department, Office of the Head of Service
of the Federation of Nigeria), at various times
between January 2009 and December 2010, within
the jurisdiction of this honourable court, obtained
for yourself by false pretences and with intent to
defraud, through fictitious contracts payments to
Cenco Enterprises, various sums of money
amounting in aggregate to N74, 350, 000.00
(Seventy Four Million, Three Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Naira only) from the Federal
Government of Nigeria through the Pension
Account held by the Office of the Head of Service
of the Federation of Nigeria, and thereby
committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a)
of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud
Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under
Section 1(30) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other
Fraud Related Offences Act,2006”.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charge
when read to them,
In view of their plea, counsel to EFCC, Godwin
Obla (SAN) asked the court for a date to
commence trial.
However, counsel to the first accused person,
Godwin Uche urged the court to admit his client
to bail adding that he had earlier been granted
bail in May, 2011 by Justice Adamu Bello.
Speaking in the same vein, N.H Nwankwo and
Deji Akande counsel to the second and third
accused persons prayed the court for similar
relief. The prosecution raised no objection to their
prayers.
Ironically, a surety to the first accused person, Mr
Sony Erimi told the court that he wished to
withdraw from being her surety saying he no
longer wants to continue to play the role.
Justice Kolawole, after listening to the
submission of all the parties adopted the bail
terms formerly granted by Justice Adamu Bello by
granting the accused persons bail in the sum of
Ten Million Naira each and sureties who must be
resident in Abuja.
He also ordered that Mr. Sony Erimi be
discharged from the obligation of being a surety
and his title documents released to him.
The case has been adjourned to February 4 and 5,
2015 for commencement of trial.
In a related development, the trial of Tahir
Abdullahi whose company, Charo Bureau De
Change was used to siphon money in the pension
office in the office of the Head of Service of the
Federation of Nigeria commenced with
presentation of PW1, Mr. Bright Okunzuwa, Zenith
Bank Zonal Compliance Officer, Maitama Branch,
Abuja and PW2, Mr Oyedeji Olutobi Ecobank
Compliance Officer who were both summoned to
present some documents.
Okunzuwa who was led in evidence by counsel to
EFCC, Obla presented affidavit attesting to the
certificate of evidence which was admitted as
exhibit 1. He also presented a letter written to
Zenith Bank and addressed to Pension Fraud Unit
of EFCC for account opening package of Charo
Bureau de Change which was admitted as exhibit
1a series and bank statement admitted as exhibit
1b series.
During cross examination by counsel to the
defendant, Nicholas O. Eku, the witness told the
court that the content of the statement of the
account is not known to him, and that he was
aware of the threshold to report suspicious
transaction. He further told the court that, he had
no idea on how the account was run.
Olutobi, on his part, presented to the court an
affidavit attesting to the certificate of evidence
which was admitted as exhibit 1c, account
opening package of Mr. Tahir Abdullahi as exhibit
1d, statement of the account from January 2007
to December 31, 2011 as exhibit 1e series.
Olutobi also told the court that he was not aware
of any documents that was given to EFCC on
suspicious transaction; that he was not also
conversant with the contents of the statement of
the account.
The case has been fixed for January 29, 2015 for
continuation of trial.
The accused was arraigned by EFCC on January
8, 2014 on a one count charge bordering on
obtaining by false pretence.
The count reads: “that you Garba Abdullahi Tahir
at various times between 3rdJune 2009 and 17th
May 2010 within the jurisdiction of this
honourable court, obtained by false pretence and
with intent to defraud from the Pensions Account,
Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of
Nigeria, various sums in the aggregate amount of
N47,251, 345.00 (Forty Seven Million, Two
Hundred and Fifty One Thousand, Three Hundred
and Fifty Four Naira) and thereby committed an
offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the
Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related
Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section
1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related
Offences Act, 2006.”
Culled from channelstv.
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