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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Commission (ICPC) has dragged a Deputy Director in the Federal
Ministry of Works, Mr. Mohammed Musa Abimiku, to court for embezzling
N4.5 million belonging to the Ministry.
Abimiku was charged by ICPC alongside an Assistant Director
in the Ministry, Mr. Micah Paman who was the Chairman of the Ministry’s
Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), before Justice A. O.
Adeniyi of FCT High Court 20, Apo, Abuja, on a 10-count charge bordering
on using their offices to corruptly enrich themselves.
Counsel to ICPC, Ekoi Akponimisingha, told the court that
their actions contravene Sections 16, 19, 25(1) (a) &(b),26(1)(c) of
the Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Act 2000 and
Sections 311
and 312 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under the same
laws.
The counts disclose that Mr. Abimiku as head of Special
Duties of the Ministry received N5 million meant for the celebration of
the World Anti-corruption Day in 2014, through his Diamond Bank account,
and diverted N4.5 million out of the money to his personal use and in
conspiracy with Mr. Paman, made false retirement claims.
The two defendants were charged for conspiracy in counts 1
and 4.Part of count 1 reads; “That you Mohammed Musa Abimiku and
Alexander Micah Paman; officers in the Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja;
in the month of April, 2016 in Abuja, conspired amongst yourselves to
make false statements to the officers of ICPC, in the course of their
official duties that the total sum of N4.5 million out of N5 million
approved by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja
and paid into the personal Diamond Bank Account No. 0012771588 of
Mohammed Musa Abimiku on the 4th of November, 2014 for the observance of
the 9th day of December 2014 International Anti-Corruption Day by the
Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry and its
Parastatals was expended for that purpose, statements you knew to be
false; and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)
(c) and punishable under Section 25(1) (a) & (b) of the Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Count 4 reads; “That you Mohammed Musa Abimiku and
Alexander Micah Paman, officers in the Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja:
in the month of December or thereabout in Abuja, conspired amongst
yourselves to knowingly furnish false return of retirement claims in
respect of the total sum of N4.5 million out of N5 million approved by
the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja and paid into
the personal Diamond Bank Account No. 0012771588 of Mohammed Musa
Abimiku on the 4th of November, 2014 for the observance of the 9th day
of December 2014 International Anti-Corruption Day by the
Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry and its
Parastatals, that the said sum was expended for that purpose, when in
fact it was not; and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and
punishable under Section 16 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Act, 2000."
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were read to them in open court.
The ICPC counsel, Akponimisingha asked that the defendants be remanded in prison custody pending the trial, while the Defence counsel, P.I. Lemut, made an oral application for bail for his clients saying that they had been on administrative bail and had kept to the terms and conditions of the bail.
The ICPC counsel, Akponimisingha asked that the defendants be remanded in prison custody pending the trial, while the Defence counsel, P.I. Lemut, made an oral application for bail for his clients saying that they had been on administrative bail and had kept to the terms and conditions of the bail.
The trial Judge, Justice Adeniyi granted them bail in the
sum of N10 million each with a surety in like sum, who must not be less
than an Assistant Director in the Civil Service of the Federation or
FCT, and resident in Abuja.
The matter was adjourned to 26th February, 2018 for trial.