The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 5 to give judgment on over 20-count fraud charges brought against a former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye by the Nigerian Government.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Oronsaye, and other parties in the matter adopted their final addresses for and against the case.
Oronsaye was arraigned alongside the Managing Director of Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Mr. Osarenkhoe Afe on 49 count charges but the charges were later reduced to 22.
Also charged before the court the EFCC included three companies- Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants had between 2010 and 2011, used the firms and diverted public funds through procurement fraud.
The former Head of Service of the Federation while adopting his final brief of arguments through his counsel, Mr. Ade Okeanya-inneh SAN, asked the court to dismiss the entire charges against him.
Oronsaye requested Justice Ekwo to discharge and acquit him from the charges on the ground of lack of evidence and merit.
He asserted that the charges against him were worthless because they were not predicated on any known facts or evidence to sustain them.
He recalled that EFCC on its own in the course of trial withdrew 22 charges when faced with the reality that the charges have no substance.
Counsel to EFCC Oluwaleke Atolagbe prayed the Court to convict the defendants based on the evidence adduced by 21 witnesses who testified in the matter.
He predicated his request for conviction on the confession of the second defendant in the trial.
Justice Inyang Ekwo after taking arguments fixed April 5 for judgment on the matter.
Dominica Nwabufo
