Fresh troubles for Ogbulafor •As ICPC slams another 17-count corruption charge on ex-PDP chairman

Written by Tunde Oyesina, Abuja Tuesday, 22 June 2010

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Monday, brought fresh charges against former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, and two others charged with defrauding the Federal Government of about N104 million via contract awards.

However, the court, presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello, struck out the names of Henry Ikoh and Emmanuel Bosah, who were mentioned in the original charge.

The rest of the accused were arraigned afresh and they all pleaded not guilty to the 17-count charge preferred against them by ICPC. Upon arraignment, counsel for the accused, Joe Gadzama (SAN), and Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), made oral bail applications for their clients, Ogbulafor and Emeka Ebila respectively.

Ogbulafor’s counsel asked the court to grant bail to the accused, since they did not try to flee after they were granted bail in the original 16-count charge and that the same terms and conditions should apply pending the hearing and determination of the case.

The plea was not objected to by ICPC counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), and it was accordingly granted by the court, which adjourned the matter till July 14, 2010 for trial and hearing of a pending motion by Gadzama, seeking to quash the charge against Ogbulafor.

Immediately after Henry Ikoh, formerly the third accused, was discharged, he told newsmen in front of the court premises that he would now pursue his governorship ambition in Abia State on the ticket of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bosah, who is now deceased and Ikoh were discharged following the absence of their names in the amended charge.

Apart from Ogbulafor, other accused whose charges are subsisting are Emeka Ebilah and Jude Nwokoro.

In the original charge, the accused were granted bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties each in like sum.

In his ruling on bail applications then, the trial judge, Justice Ishaq Bello said, “I hereby order accelerated hearing.”

The original charges include: “That you Vincent Ogbulafor (M), Emeka Ebilah (M) and Emmanuel Bosah (M), in the month of March 2001, being public officers, to wit; Minister in charge of Special Duties, secretary/member of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC) and Director, Budget Implementation, Federal Ministry of Finance respectively, did use your positions to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by fraudulently receiving for yourselves through a proxy, Henry Ikoh, the sum of N82,631,03.41 from the Federal Government of Nigeria in the name of a company, Henchriko Nigeria Ltd, as payment for a fictitious contract purportedly executed for the Federal Government of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence contrary to, and punishable under Section 19 of the Corruption Practices and Related Offences Act 200.”

“And That you Vincent Ogbulafor (M), Emeka Ebilah (M) and Emmanuel Bosah, in the month of March 2001 or thereabout did conspire to use the NEIC contract verification panel to verify a fictitious contract purportedly executed on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria by a company known as Henchrico Nigeria Ltd and received for yourselves the sum of N82,631,031 as payment for the aforesaid contract and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 26 and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act 2000.

The third count reads: “That you Vincent Ogbulafor(M), Emeka Ebilah (M) and Emmanuel Bosah, in the month of March 2001 being public officers, to wit; Minister in charge of Special Duties, secretary/ member of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC) and Director, Budget Implementation, Federal Ministry of Finance respectively, did use your positions to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by fraudulently receiving from the Federal Republic of Nigeria the sum of N11,519,906,25 through a proxy, Chris Abuajah, in the name of a company, DHL Consultants, as payment for a fictitious contract purportedly executed on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria by the aforesaid company and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26 and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act 2000.”

In addition, count four reads: “That you Vincent Ogbulafor(M), Emeka Ebilah (M) and Emmanuel Bosah, in the month of March 2001 or thereabout did conspire to use the NEIC contract verification panel to verify a fictitious contract purportedly executed on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria by a company known as DHL Consultants and received for yourselves the sum of N11,519,906.25 as payment for the aforesaid contract and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26 and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act 2000.