A former Senior Special Assistant on Millennium Development Goals to the
\nimmediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson,
\nEmbelekpo Apere,\u00a0 \u00a0was on Thursday, January 28, 2021 arraigned by the
\nPort Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes
\nCommission, EFCC.<\/p>\n
Apere, was arraigned alongside Rollins Allison Amacree, Clever Loveday
\nand a company: Oriazy Global Link Limited before Justice Jane E. Inyang
\nof the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on 10-count
\ncharges bordering on alleged conspiracy and procurement fraud to the
\ntune of N864, 104, 000. 00(Eight Hundred and Sixty Four Million, One
\nHundred and Four Thousand Naira only).<\/p>\n
Count 2 of the charges read:”That you, Embelekpo Apere and Rollins
\nAllision Amacree,\u00a0 on or about 2015 and 2016 in Bayelsa State within the
\njurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did without soliciting for
\nexpression of interest by publishing a notice to that effect in Two
\nNational Newspapers and in your Journal, awarded and paid contract worth
\nN352,104,000.00 (Three Hundred and Fifty-two Million, One Hundred and
\nFour Thousand Naira only) to Dekams World Global Nigeria Ltd and thereby
\ncommitted an offence contrary to Section 44 (a) and 45 (2) of the Public
\nProcurement Act 2007 and punishable under Section 58(1) of the same
\nAct”.<\/p>\n
Count 3 read:”That you Embelekpo Apere and Rollins Allision Amacree,\u00a0 on
\nor about 2015 and 2016 in Bayelsa State within the jurisdiction of this
\nHonourable Court, did without soliciting for expression of interest by
\npublishing a notice to that effect in Two National Newspapers and in
\nyour Journal awarded and paid contract worth N182,000,000.00 (One
\nHundred and Eighty Two Million Naira) only to Ayebomateke & Son’s Ltd
\nand thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 44 (a) and 45 (2)
\nof the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under Section 58(1) of
\nthe same Act”<\/p>\n
They all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to
\nthem.\u00a0 In view of their pleas,\u00a0 \u00a0prosecution counsel, M.T Iko asked for
\na date for the commencement of trial.<\/p>\n
However, counsels to the 1st and 2nd defendants, Oyebiyi O and P.J.
\nFawei and counsel to the 3rd and 4th defendants, W. Ogberipou informed
\nthe judge of bail applications already placed before the court. This
\nprayer was contested by Iko who expressed fears that the defendants may
\ninterfere with the prosecution of the case “by threatening witnesses and
\nthe prosecution”.\u00a0 He prayed the court to for an order for accelerated
\nhearing of the matter.<\/p>\n
Justice Inyang, however, granted the defendants bail in the sum of
\nTwenty Million Naira (N20, 000,000.00) each and one surety in like sum,
\nwho must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court.
\nAll the sureties should depose to an affidavit of means and deposit
\ntheir original Certificates of Occupancy with the Deputy Court
\nRegistrar.<\/p>\n
The Judge also ordered that international passports of defendants be
\nhanded over to the Registrar of the Court while sureties should be
\nverified by the Investigating Officers.<\/p>\n
The matter was adjourned till February 17, 22 and 24, 2021 for hearing.<\/p>\n
The defendants got into trouble by awarding contracts without following
\ndue processes.\u00a0 They allegedly made payments to third parties exceeding
\nN50million without passing through a financial institution, in violating
\nof provisions of the Money Laundering Act.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A former Senior Special Assistant on Millennium Development Goals to the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, Embelekpo Apere,\u00a0 \u00a0was on Thursday, January 28, 2021 arraigned by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":78004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n