Date Published: 10/07/09

N787m UBEC Fraud: EFCC files 64 amended charges against Sokan, 6 Others

Farida Waziri

Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja , will on November 9, 2009 consider afresh, the amended charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against Professor Bridget Omotunde Sokan and six others.

Counsel to EFCC, Wahab Shittu on Tuesday October 6, filed 64 amended charges against Professor Sokan, former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, and three of its directors, Molkat Manasseh Mutfwang, Michael Mtonga Aule and Dr. Andrew Ekpunobi. The other three accused persons are Intermarkets USA, Intermarkets Nigeria Limited and Alexander John Cozma, a foreign contractor.

The fresh 64 count charge borders on misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of  trust as the accused persons were said to have conspired among themselves to induce and deceive UBEC into awarding contract in the sum of N787, 968,000 out of which the sum of N636, 284,160 representing 85 per cent of the contract sum was paid as mobilization fee.

Though Counsel to EFCC wanted the accused persons to take their pleas when the matter came up in court, he, however, did not succeed as the presiding judge adjourned the case till November 9.

In the words of Shittu: “An adjournment has been taken for the pleas to be taken as there is a formal charge before the court. Previously there were just five accused persons because the two other persons (Professor Sokan and Intermarkets Nigeria Limited) were not around at the time the earlier charges were read and they were mentioned in those charges as part of the accused but were at large.” He added: “Right now, we have 64 count charges as against 26 count charge due to the new entrant and further documents available.”

Apart from Professor Sokan and Intermarkets Nigeria Limited, the five other accused persons were first arraigned before the court on May 19 on a 26 count charge but  were later granted bail on the sum of N100 million each, one surety each in like sum. The surety should be an owner of landed property within Abuja and to deposit their certified title document of the property in court. The accused persons were also barred from travelling abroad as they were to deposit their international passports with the court.