Court Frees Former Head of Service, Oronsaye, Two Others from N2bn Fraud Allegation

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, has freed a former Head of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, from the N2 billion fraud charge filed against him and two others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Ekwo in a judgment delivered yesterday, freed the defendants on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.

Oronsaye’s discharge and acquittal was coming nearly eight years after his arraignment by the federal government

 in 2015.

Meanwhile, two firms: Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Ltd and Drew Investment and Construction Company Ltd) charged alongside Oronsaye were found guilty as charged.

The former HoS was arraigned alongside the Managing Director of Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited and Osarenkhoe Afe, on a 49-count charge bordering on fraud, which they pleaded not guilty.

The charges were later amended to 22 after the anti-graft Commission separated the parts involving a former head of Presidential Pension Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, who was then at large.

Maina, was later charged separately by the EFCC and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment in November 2021.

In the new charge the anti-graft agency included three companies – Cluster Logistic Limited; Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants had between 2010 and 2011, used the firms to divert public funds through procurement fraud.

The EFCC had equally accused Orosanye and the others of using inflated biometrics enrolment contracts, collective allowances and other schemes to siphon money from accounts containing pensioners’ funds.

The commission had also tendered a report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on federal government’s pension accounts which indicted Oronsaye and others of wrongdoing.

However, in his judgment which exonerated Oronsaye and two others, Justice Ekwo held that the prosecution suppressed material evidence, by not informing the court that Abdulrasheed Maina, who was a defendant in the case and also an important figure in the suit was facing trial at another court and had been convicted.

The EFCC had said Maina was at large but in a real sense was facing trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.

“Now, on the case of the 1st defendant(Oronsaye), I find upon evaluating the evidence of the prosecution in this case, from the evidence of PW1-PW21, that no credible evidence has been adduced by the prosecution linking him with the offences, alleged against him in counts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32, 34 and 42 of the count sheet. I make an order discharging and acquitting him.”

On the case of the 3rd defendant, (Frederick Hamilton Global Services Ltd), I have already found that it has been incriminated by the evidence of PW17 of the inflow into the account of the 3rd defendant part of which the sum of N40m was withdrawn by Abdulrasheed Abdulahi Maina.

“This evidence was not rebutted. The case against the 3rd defendant with respect with to counts 22 and 24 have been proved by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt and I so hold. I therefore find the 3rd defendant guilty as charged.

” On the case of the 6th defendant (Drew Investment and Construction Company Ltd), a company owned by Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, I find that it has been incriminated by the evidence of PW6, PW7, PW18 and PW20. The case against the 6th defendant with respect to the count 48 has been proved by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt and I so hold. I therefore find the 6th defendant guilty as charged”.