Alleged N5.2bn scam: Court dismisses charge against Ugbane, Elumelu

[Mirror]

A Federal Capital Territory, FCT, high court, yesterday, dismissed charges of alleged financial impropriety preferred against Senator Nicholas Ugbane and the former Chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on Power, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had preferred a 62-criminal charge against Ugbane, Elumelu and one Mohammed Jibo.

However, in quashing the aforesaid charge, trial judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, held that the prosecution failed to establish a link between the accused persons and the offence being alleged.

Oniyangi further faulted the leave it earlier granted the prosecution to prefer the criminal charge against the accused.

"Granting leave is an act of judicial discretion and should not be exercised arbitrarily; it must be done within the ambit of the law.

"The lawmakers are not members of the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, tenders board," the judge stated.

The accused persons were, sometime in January, re-arraigned by the EFCC on charges of criminal conspiracy, breach of due process and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N5.2 billion.

Specifically, the commission had alleged that the accused persons influenced the award of REA grid extension and solar electricity projects in some federal constituencies, through the agency's amended 2008 budget.

National Mirror