The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission has arraigned a businessman, Tumbu Bartholomew, as well as Kaka Dauda and Sunday Nweke, who are members of staff of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs before an Abuja High Court for alleged visa scam.
The three accused persons were arraigned before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on five counts of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and making of false statements.
The prosecutor, Michael Adesola, a lawyer with ICPC, told the court that the accused sometimes in May this year conspired and faked a Ministry of Foreign Affairs document, titled: “Request for Note Verbale”.
Adesola alleged that the accused persons made false statements in the name of the office of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to obtain the Note Verbale dated June 6 to secure visas to travel to the United States of America.
He alleged that the accused persons used the document to secure visas for Obazee Osadolor, Inomwan Godfrey, Anifowoshe Abimbola, Adebisi Oluwafemi and Agunu Phillips.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Section 25(1)(B), 26(1) (a) and punishable under Section 25 (1)(C)
of the Corrupt Pratices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
After taking their pleas, Adesola prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable him produce his witnesses in court.
Justice Baba-Yusuf, admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N500,000 each and a surety in like sum.
He ordered that the surety must reside within the FCT and must produce proof of ownership of a landed property.
The judge also ordered that if the accused persons fail to meet up the bail conditions, they should be remanded in Kuje Prison.
He adjourned hearing in the case to January 20, 2014.
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