Court acquits Orubebe, others over N1.97b fraud
Elder Godsday Orubebe, the minister of Niger Delta Affairs under former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been acquitted by an Abuja High Court sitting at Apo.
Orubebe was arraigned by the ICPC for alleged contract fraud
Orubebe secured the victory on Tuesday, March 4 as the court reportedly struck out the six-count charge slammed on him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over his alleged complicity in a N1.97 billion contract fraud.
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It was learnt that the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, in a letter to chairman of the ICPC, with Ref No DPPA/MNDA/345/16, confirmed that the N1,965,576,153.46, which Orubebe was claimed to have diverted, had not been touched, “but is awaiting further contract decisions and directives from the Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs.”
Vanguard reports that in the letter signed by the director of public prosecution and dated December 16, 2016, the AGF said: “In view of the above, the basis for the prosecution of the accused persons for misappropriation does not exist and thus, further prosecution cannot be justified.”
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi discharged and acquitted the defendants, after the charge was then withdrawn by the ICPC counsel, Mr Ekoi Akpos.
The report said the charge was withdrawn same day the court asked the ICPC to produce its witnesses to establish that Orubebe actually diverted funds meant for the compensation of owners of properties on Eket urban section of the East-West Road in Eket, Akwa Ibom state.
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The report gave the other defendants as an assistant director at the ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs, Mr Oludare Davis Alaba, and the director of contracts, Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nig Ltd, Mr Ephraim Towede Zari.
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