(http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=reps_850754987.jpg&size=article_medium) An Abuja High Court on Thursday granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arraign the former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Other Financial Institutions, Herman Hembe.
Justice Abubakar Umar also granted permission to the EFCC to arraign the ex- vice chairman of the committee, Chris Azubogu, over corruption charges.
The EFCC had, through its Counsel, Mr. Onjekwu Obe, filed an application for leave to prefer a two-count criminal charge against the duo, under section 185 (d) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Obe said the application for seeking leave of the court to prefer a criminal charge was made under Section 185(B) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He said, ``I hereby apply for leave to prefer a criminal charge against the above named accused persons.
``Attached herewith are the following documents: a copy of the charge in respect of which leave is sought, and a verifying affidavit.
``Others are names and addresses of the witnesses, statements of the witnesses and that of the two accused persons and other documentary evidences.''
In his ruling, Umar granted the application, and said that from the proof of evidence presented by the EFCC, Hembe and Azubogu are to be arraigned on Thursday, May 17.
``The application to prefer a criminal charge against Hon. Herman Hembe and Hon. Chris Azubogu has merit,'' the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the judge as saying on Thursday.
Obe told newsmen later that with the consent given by the judge, Hembe and Azubogu would now be arraigned on May 17 on a two-count charge, bordering on misappropriation of public funds.
He said that the EFCC investigations revealed that Hembe and Azubogu were the two key actors in the N44 million fraud allegation rocking the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Other Institutions.
The EFCC counsel added that investigations also revealed that the two had confessed that they did not attend the workshop for which they collected money from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Their confession, the counsel said, came on the day the EFCC launched a probe into the N30 million hotel bill allegedly incurred by SEC’s Director-General, Ms Arunma Oteh.
TheNation