The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned the Managing Director of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam and six other persons over alleged stealing and conversion’s of the agency money amounting to N6,850,447,609.90.
The anti-graft commission had last Thursday arraigned the NAMA boss, three directors of the agency and the wife of one of the directors.
The other defendants are: Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun, Clara Aliche, wife of Adegorite, Joy Ayodele Adegorite who is the Managing Director of Multeng Travels and Tours Limited and two limited liability companies, Randville Investment Limited, Multeng Travels and Tours Limited alleged to have been used as conduit pipe to defraud the agency.
Other defendants included in the amended charge are: Bola Akinribido and Sesebor Abiodun.
The matter was listed for hearing of the bail applications of the defendants yesterday but the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that he came with a 24-count amended charge and urged the court to allow the charge to be read to the accused persons again.
According to him, two other defendants were included in the amended charge and the defendants counsel did not oppose the application.
He also told the court that he had been served with bail application of the defendants, adding that he is not contending with the accused being granted bail but urged the court to allow trial to commence immediately.
The presiding judge, Babs Kiewumi granted the request and the charge was read to the defendant who took their plea.
The offence was said to have contravened Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act, 2016 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
The commission also alleged in the charge that the defendants on December 19, 2014, forged a document titled “Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Apapa 2-Burma road NCS Payment Acknowledgement receipt number: 05821082014177651.”
Two of the defendants Sesebor Abiodun and Bola Akinribido were only charged in parts of the 24-count amended charge.
When the charges were read to the defendants they all pleaded not guilty to the charges and the prosecutor urged the court to allow him call his witnesses.
But all the defendants counsel including, O. Akoni (SAN), who represented the NAMA boss opposed the commencement of the trial immediately, adding that the bail applications should be heard first.
Justice Kiewumi while ruling on the bail applications granted all the accused person bail in the sum of N20million each with one sureties in like sum.
He added that the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court which must be verified by the court register and prosecution.
The judge however said the accused persons should be remanded in prisons pending when they will meet their bail condition.
The matter was adjourned till 27 and 28 of April.
