A former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe; former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State, Mr. Raymond Dabo and the Coordinator of Jonathan/Sambo reelection campaign in Plateau State, Evangelist Lyons Sunday Jatau, will on February 13 know whether they will be committed to prison for allegedly embezzling N450 million belonging to the Federal Government.
The trio is being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) at the Federal High, Jos, the Plateau State capital, on charges of receiving the money from the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, to finance the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy.
At the first hearing of the suit, Ochekpe had told the trial judge, Justice Musa Haruna Kurya, that she gave the money to the late PDP governorship candidate in the 2015 gubernatorial election in Plateau GNS Pwajok.
They were granted bail on self-recognition and the case was adjourned to February 13th, 14th, 2018 to determine the veracity of their submission.
In a suit filed by Federal Government of Nigeria Vs Sarah Ochekpe, Raymond Dabo and Lyon Sunday Jatau, the prosecution counsel, Mr. A Yusuf Muchaka, told the court that the trio breached their trust by receiving money knowing that it was illegal.
In an affidavit sworn to by Olayaika Rotimi, an operative with EFCC in compliance with Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the two charges bordering on criminality were dated the 13th December 2017 after thorough investigation.
He relied on section 379, subsection 1 of the criminal act, A, B filed with the list of witnesses statement, witness under section 379 subsection 1 A, page 3 and was also filed with written documents attached as administration of criminal justice.
According to Muchaka, the motion was served on January 18, 2018 and he applied to tender same before the court as endorsement issue evidence is also attached.
He urged the court to accept the two-count charge.
The application was granted by Justice Musa Haruna Kurya.
The suit is expected to elicit high drama as the family of Pwajok is drawing swords over the claim by the defendants that they gave the money to their late son.
A source close to the family said that they are contemplating a fresh suit against the defendants.
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