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Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Winifred Oyo-Ita, and eight others were on Monday arraigned before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on an 18-count charge of corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Others to be arraigned alongside Oyo-Ita are Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Garba Umar and his companies – Slopes International Limited and Gooddeal Investments Limited – Ubong Okon Effiok and his own company, U & U Global Services Limited, and Prince Mega Logistics Limited.
They all entered a plea of not guilty to all the charges.
Following their plea of not guilty, their lawyers made an oral application for their bail.
Mr Paul Erokoro (SAN), who appeared for the former Head of Service, prayed the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms in view of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
He noted that the pandemic is a clear threat to life and that the government has taken steps to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.
Erokoro undertook to produce his client to court to stand her trial.
Other counsels to the defendants, Antony Ananukwa for Garba Umar, Ebuka Nwaeze for Slopes International Limited and Gooddeal Investment Limited and Okechukwu Ajuwa for Ubong Effiok and Prince Mega Logistics Limited, all urged the court to grant their clients bail.
Responding, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, only urged the court to attach such conditions to their bail as to compel their appearance in court.
He said he took the decision in view of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
Justice Taiwo in her ruling admitted Oyo-Ita to bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties.
One of the sureties, according to the judge, must be a Grade level 17 officer in the employ of the Federal Government and must have a landed property worth the bail bond.
The second surety must show evidence of being gainfully employed and have the capacity to bail the sum of N100 million in the event that the defendant jumps bail.
Other conditions are that Oyo-Ita must deposit her two passports with the registrar of the court and shall be reporting to the prosecuting counsel at the EFCC office for seven days with effect from March 24, pending when she will perfect the conditions attached to her bail.
Justice Taiwo, who released Oyo-Ita to her counsel, Paul Erokoro, for the seven-day period, warned that if she failed to meet her bail conditions within the period, she will be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
Meanwhile, Justice Taiwo admitted Garuba Umar and Ubong Effiok to bail in the sum of N50 million each.
Other conditions attached to their bail are similar to that of Oyo-Ita.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Taiwo on allegations bordering on fraud relating to Duty Tour Allowances (DTA), estacodes, conference fees fraud and receiving kickbacks on contracts.
The prosecution has told the court that during the investigation, it was discovered that Oyo-Ita, in her roles in the civil service as Director, Permanent Secretary and Head of Service, used her companies as well as Effiok’s and Umar’s companies as fronts to receive kickbacks from contractors of various ministries and parastatals where she worked.
The former head of service in collusion with Effiok, who was her Special Assistant, along with one Titus Okunriboye Tomsin, made bogus claims of fictitious DTA, estacodes and conference fees which were paid by the government to the accounts of the suspects.
The charge read:
“That you, WINIFRED OYO-ITA (whist being the Head of Service of the Federation) Ubong Okon Effiok and Prince MEGA LOGISTICS LIMITED between 27th March 2018 and 6th April 2018 within the jurisdiction 01′ [1115 Hon. Court, took control of the sum of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira only) paid into the account of Prince Mega Logistics Limited No: 401006757] by Titus Okunriboye Tomsin Okumiboy knowing that the said funds formed part of the proceed of an unlawful activity to wit: fraud (Duty Tour Allowance {DTA} for journeys not embarked on) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) 81 (4) of the Act.
“That you, WINIFRED OYO-ITA (whilst being the Head of Civil Service of the Federation), GARBA UMAR (while being a civil servant and alter ego of Slopes International Limited) and SLOPES INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (a company incorporated in Nigeria and of which Garba Umar is a shareholder, director and sole signatory of your bank account at a new generation bank) on or about 27‘” April 2019 withm the jurisdiction of this Hon Court, took control of the sum of N20,357,142 86 (Twenty Million, Three hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, One hundred and forty-two Naira, Eighty-Six kobo) paid into the account of Slopes International Limited No 1010825915 by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing as part-payment for a contract you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceed of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering be(prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) &(4) of the Act.”
Meanwhile, the trial has been adjourned to May 27th, 28th and June 2rd, 3rd, and 4th, respectively.
