N13m fraud: ICPC arraigns ex-Poly lecturer, associate

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission has arraigned Afolabi Olufemi, a former lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State.

Also arraigned by ICPC is Olufemi’s associate, Bashiru Aremu, before Justice Wasiu Oladejo Akanbi of Osun State High Court 3, sitting in Osogbo.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Okoduwa, the duo were arraigned for allegedly obtaining N13.3 million from Tertiary Education Trust Fund under the guise of running  a doctorate degree in the United States of America before diverting it to personal purposes.

The statement said when the charges were read in court, it was revealed that in January 2014, Afolabi, while serving as Head of Accounting and Finance Department of the polytechnic with the help of his associate, Bashiru, who claimed to be the African Representative of Adam Smith University, US, they allegedly obtained N13,328,000 from TETFund under the pretence of running a foreign doctorate degree programme.

Afolabi, who has since retired, was alleged to have diverted it to his personal use.

He was, therefore, charged for “engaging in criminal conspiracy to confer corrupt advantage upon selves contrary to section 26 (1)(c) and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000”.

Afolabi was also charged for “obtaining money by false pretence – an offence that contravenes Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2004”.

Other offences allegedly committed by the accused persons under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 were “fraudulent receipt of property contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 68.

“Knowingly furnishing false statement in respect of money received, an offence contrary to Section 16; intent to deceive the Principal, contrary to and punishable under Section 17 (1)(c) and making a statement which is false to a public officer, an offence contrary to Section 25 (1)(a) and punishable under Section 25 (1) (b).”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Their counsel, Olateju Kolawole and Oyewale Dauda, thereafter requested for bail, which was not opposed by the ICPC counsel, Sulaiman Abdulkareem and Kehinde Adetoye.

Justice Akanbi granted bail to the accused persons in line with the terms of administrative bail earlier granted them by ICPC, with the condition that their sureties were expected to be present in court.

The Judge ruled: “The sureties must be civil servants not below Grade Level 15 and above, working within the jurisdiction of the court and they should also produce N5 million each in like sum.”

The trial was adjourned till December 10 for further hearing.