Whistle-blowers: NEMA Staff
Whistle-blowers: NEMA Staff Deji Denies Bribery Charge….
Granted Bail
A Chief Maintenance Officer in charge of Fuel Supply, Mr. Ganiyu
Yunusa Deji has denied the N2.4mn bribery charge brought against
him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Deji pleaded no guilty to the three-count charge when he was
arraigned before Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital
Territory High Court and he was subsequently granted bail for
pleading innocence.
Deji who is one of the whistle-blowers along with five other
directors in NEMA have been placed on suspension for fear of
implicating and exposing the monumental corruption allegedly being
perpetrated by the current DG NEMA, Engineer Mustafha Maihaja
After a series of public hearings at the National Assembly on
the action of the NEMA boss against the whistle-blowers, the House
of Representatives ordered the agency to reabsorb them back into
their respective offices, an order which Maihaja had persistently
refused to comply with.
Rather than complying with the lawmakers’[YS1] order, the NEMA
Director General unleased anti-corruption agency on the the
suspended staff through petitions in a bid to weaken their
positions as whistle-blowers on his alleged maladministration.
The EFCC in the charge dated December 19, 2018 had arraigned the
Deji-Yunusa on the allegation that some times in 2016 he allegedly
collected N1.7mn from Rekimat Global Resources as gratification
from the supply of fuel to NEMA.
The defendant was also alleged to havereceived another N617,000
in February 2017 through his Diamond Bank Account from the same
company.
Deji was accused of receiving another N130,000 gratification
from the same company in September 2017.
The offence was said to be punishable under Section 8 of the
Corrupt Charges and other related offences Commission.
When the charge was read, the NEMA Chief pleaded not guilty
prompting the prosecutors Adeola Olanrewaju to apply for an
adjournment for trial of the charge and that the defendant be
remanded in Prison Custody pending the trial.
However, counsel to the defendant, Mr. Edward Sabah told Justice
Okeke that he had filed a motion seeking for bail for his client
pending the trial and urged the court to allow him argued the
motion.
A counsel informed he court that the defendant while on
administrative bail did not jump bail and that the present bail if
granted will not be abused by the defendant in defendant in line
with Section 158.
In his ruling, Justice Okeke dismissed the objection of the
prosecution as being frivolous and speculative adding that no court
of law would ever act on speculation.
The Judge consequently admitted the NEMA staff to Bail in the
sum of N1mn and one surety in the like sum while the surety must
show evidence of tax clearance forb the past three years.
The judge also held that the surety must be resident in the
Federal Capital Territory and deposit his two passport photographs
with the court.
Meanwhile Justice Jude Okeke has fixed hearing in the charge
till April 15, 2019.
By PRNigeria