Pensioners’ chair, other in court for N11m fraud

TRACKING______Benue State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Joseph Kyumeh, and Augustine Ada Omaji were yesterday arraigned before a Makurdi High Court for alleged money laundering.

They were arraigned by the Makurdi Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice M. A. Ikpambese on a seven-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, forgery, money laundering, abuse of office and theft of N11 million.

The commission Zonal Head of Public Affairs, Iwayinma Okeanu, said in a statement that it received a petition signed on behalf of the Concerned Pensioners of Benue State alleging that the finances of the NUP had not been audited very well and demanded accountability which the suspects ignored.

One of the count reads: “That you, Joseph Kyumeh and Augustine Ada Omaji, sometime in March 2019, in Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, agreed to dishonestly and fraudulently make and sign a report of internal auditor on the account of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Benue State branch, for the period between 30th December 2013 and 31st December 2017, with the intention of causing it to be believed that the report was made by auditors for Nigeria Union of Pensioners Benue State chapter, Makurdi and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code (CAP) 124 Law of Benue State, and punishable under Section 97 of the same Law.”

But when the case came up, the accused pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Based on their plea, prosecution counsel, Mary Onoja, requested for a trial date, and asked the court to remand them in correctional centre.

However, counsel to the defendants, E. I. Laren, who was ready with a motion for bail, urged the court to grant them bail on most liberal terms.

Justice Ikpambese granted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of N1 million with one surety in like sum.

He said the surety must be resident and have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court as well as show evidence of such or a civil servant not below GL 12 and they must deposit one passport photograph with the court.

The case was adjourned till March 24, 2020 for hearing.

The accused were remanded in correctional centre pending the perfection of their bail conditions.