Ex-Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam and two members of his cabinet have been accused of diverting the sum of N9.79billion, part of which was meant for police reform programme and Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme.
In a report by Punch Newspaper, Suswan, Omadachi Oklobia; a former Commissioner for Benue State and Accountant, Benue State Government House Administration, Janet Aluga, were accused by the Federal Government, on Monday, March 27, 2017.
The funds, it was reported, were allegedly diverted between 2012 and 2015 while Suswam served as the governor of Benue State.
In a 32-count fraud and money laundering charges filed against Suswam and two others before the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/48/2017, the defendants were accused of conspiracy, conversion of property derived directly from corruption; collaboration to conceal property derived from corruption; obtaining by false pretences and accepting cash payments, exceeding the amount authorised by law.
Part of the charges read, “That you, Rt. Hon. Gabriel T. Suswam (m), former Governor of Benue State of No. 1 Rio Negro Street, Maitama, Abuja; Omadachi Oklobia (m), former Commissioner for Finance of Flat 1 Block A13, Marathon Avenue, Games Village, Abuja; and Janet Aluga (f), former Accountant , Benue State Government House Administration of David Mark Extension, Agber Village, Makurdi, Benue State, between August 8, 2012 and March 16, 2015 at Makurdi, Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire among yourselves to transfer a total sum of about N4,135,208,404.90, from the Benue State SURE-P account number 0116099195, domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank, into various illegal accounts with the aim of concealing the money which you derived directly from corruption.
“That you, Rt. Hon. Gabriel T. Suswam (m), former Governor of Benue State of No. 1 Rio Negro Street, Maitama, Abuja; Omadachi Oklobia (m), former Commissioner for Finance of Flat 1 Block A13, Marathon Avenue, Games Village, Abuja; and Janet Aluga (f), former Accountant , Benue State Government House Administration of David Mark Extension, Agber Village, Makurdi, Benue State, between August 8, 2012 and March 16, 2015 at Makurdi, Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did collaborate to conceal the genuine nature and origin of a total sum of about N7,110,537,823.78 which you moved from the Benue State SURE-P account number 1013470079 and account number 0116099195, domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank respectively, into various illegal accounts being money you derived from corruption.
“That you, Rt. Hon. Gabriel T. Suswam (m), former Governor of Benue State of No. 1 Rio Negro Street, Maitama, Abuja; Omadachi Oklobia (m), former Commissioner for Finance of Flat 1 Block A13, Marathon Avenue, Games Village, Abuja; and Janet Aluga (f), former Accountant , Benue State Government House Administration of David Mark Extension, Agber Village, Makurdi, Benue State, on or about August 14, 2014, at Makurdi, Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence, to wit: by false pretences and with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N45,000,000 from Police Reform Programme Skye Bank account number 1750022970, belonging to the Nigeria Police and paid into the Benue State Government House First Bank Account number 2023289293 for your own benefit.”
This is coming one month after the DSS arrested ex-Governor Suswam when it raided one of his properties and guns with exotic cars were recovered.
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