The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Ali Abdullahi, a personal assistant to the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, for alleged fraud.
Abdullahi is facing a two-count charge for allegedly providing false information to the EFCC during the commission’s investigation of a case of false asset declaration by a former official of the Nigerian Customs Service, Rasheed Owolabi.
According to the first count of the charge, Abdullahi told the EFCC that N1.8 million collected from Mr. Owolabi was meant to assist his (Mr. Abdullahi’s) father’s medication.
But during a cross-examination, Owolabi said he paid the sum to the tribunal’s chairman, Danladi Umar, through a Zenith Bank account belonging to Abdullahi, with the account number: 1002849471.
Owolabi claimed he paid the money after Umar demanded N10 million to influence his case before the tribunal.
EFCC charges read in parts: “That you Ali Gambo Abdullahi, sometimes in August 2013 at Abuja within the judicial division of the court did make a statement to one Abdulmajeed Ibrahim, a detective with the EFCC, while in the course of the exercise of the duty of his office that the sum of N1.8m paid into your Zenith Bank Account Number 1002849471 on December 12, 2012 by one Rasheed Owolabi was a payment made to assist you to settle your father’s hospital bill; which statement you knew to be untrue and thereby committed an office contrary to section 39(2)(a) of the EFCC Act, 2004 and punishable under section (39) (2) (b) of the same act.
“That you Ali Gambo Abdullahi, sometimes in August 2013 at Abuja within the judicial division of the court did make a statement dated 13th August 2013 pertaining to N1.8m paid into your bank account by one Rasheed Taiwo, which is inconsistent with the statement you made on August 12th, 2013 to one Abdulmajeed Ibrahim, a detective with EFCC while in the course of the exercise of the duty of his office and thereby committed an offence contrary to section (39) (2) (b) of the EFCC Act 2004”. The case has been adjourned to March 15.
By Olisemeka Obeche (with agency reports)