N2bn Fraud: EFCC Slams Fresh Charges On Bayelsa Govt Officials

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, slammed a six-fresh-count charge on three officials of the Bayelsa State government, while it withdrew earlier charges against the fourth accused.
The anti-graft commission had earlier dragged the Accountant-General of state, Francis Okokoro; Director of Treasury, Abbot Clinton; Director of Finance, Ikobho Howells and Dr. Charles Opuala before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged mismanagement of N2 billion.
When the matter came up on Friday, the prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, applied that the name of Okokoro be struck out and be discharged from the trial in line with the fresh amended charges.
The trial judge, Justice Donatus Okorowo, therefore, struck out Okokoro’s name from the charge and ordered that the remaining three accused persons should take a fresh plea.
Upon reading the further amended six-count charges to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty to all the counts and were consequently admitted to bail on the same terms and condition as the earlier ones, following the requests of their counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), and Sunday Ameh (SAN).
Meanwhile, Keyamo continued with his prosecution witness 1, Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi, a police officer attached to the EFCC, who narrated the steps he took in the course of investigating the alleged N2 billion fraud.
After Adeniyi had concluded his evidence-in-chief, defence counsel, Uche (SAN), applied for adjournment till March 18 to cross-examine him, and the request was granted by the court.
The court, therefore, adjourned the matter till March 18 for cross examination.