A personal assistant to the chairman of the Code of
Conduct Tribunal has been arraigned by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud.
The aide, Ali 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 Premium Times.
The charges against the accused states that: 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.”
On his part, Owolabi during a cross-examination said he
paid the sum of N10 million into a Zenith Bank account
belonging to the tribunal’s chairman after the chairman,
Danladi Umar, demanded N10 million to influence his case
before the tribunal.
The EFCC is investigating Danladi Umar over corruption
allegations including allegedly receiving N10 million bribe
from a suspect.
Some of the other allegations that have been leveled
against Umar include misappropriation of the tribunal’s
funds, soliciting for bribes and illegal posting of staff
opposed to his highhandedness.