The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has charged two senior staff of the Federal Ministries of Trade and Investment and Works and Housing before an Abuja high court over alleged job racketeering.
The defendants are Mrs Joy Ndubuisi Chineme, Trade and Investment, and Mr Godwin Tabo Sakat of Works. The Federal workers are accused of fraud running into N12 million.
ICPC had earlier arraigned the duo in a nine-count charge in July 2024. At the commencement of the trial before Justice C.O. Oba on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Suleiman Abdulkareem, presented Mrs. Adah Ojoma, an Assistant Director in ICPC, as the first prosecution witness in the matter.
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Mrs. Ojoma, told the court that a petition against the first defendant was received on 4th of March 2022 which led to an investigation by the Commission.
According to her, in the course of investigation, “the team first discovered the sum of Three Hundred Thousand naira in her (Mrs Chineme’s) bank account and different other amounts totaling over 12 million naira.
She transferred some of the money to her Zenith bank account and some to the second defendant (Mr Sakat).
Ojoma further explained “sometime in 2018, the first defendant transferred the sum of N3.9 million into her Zenith Bank, while in 2019, over N5 million was transferred and then over 2.5 million naira in 2021. And that the sum of N4.3 million was transferred to the second defendant”.
She added that in the course of investigation, a letter of employment that was fake was also discovered, added that upon invitation to the Commission, the first defendant came and made her statement voluntarily.
However, counsel to the first defendant, E. E. Oga opposed that the first defendant did not make her statement voluntarily but under duress and therefore prayed the court to allow for a trial within trial.
Reacting, ICPC counsel, Mr. Abdulkareem said although the statement was not a confession, he was not opposed to the plea by his learned counsel.
During the trial within trial, Mrs Ojoma told the court that the first defendant was invited by the Commission and that after legal procedures were explained to her, she called her husband at one time and her sister at another time to write the statement on her behalf as she could not write properly.
Counsel to the first defendant however moved for an adjournment to enable him bring the defense witness.
A statement signed by Demola Bakare, Director, Public Enlightenment and Education, ICPC, said the matter has been adjourned till 25th of March, 2025 for continuation of trial.
