Twenty three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, accused of receiving a N360 million bribe from Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, in connection with the December 10, 2016 re-run elections in the state, will appear in court this week.
And to aid their successful prosecution, 14 policemen, referred to as potential witnesses have been lined up by the prosecution to testify against the INEC officials.
The defendants, according to competent information gleaned by The Point, would appear before the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice John Tsoho tomorrow, Tuesday.
The Point learnt from a reliable source that “the court served the hearing notice on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, sometime last week, indicating that the arraignment would take place on Tuesday, March 14.”
The source, “Immediately the charges were filed last week, more than enough copies that would go round the 23 defendants were sent to the police.
“Recall that the police earlier released the defendants. But the investigative team of the police re-invited them after receiving copies of the charges from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. So, I am sure if the defendants honoured the police invitation, they would have been served with the charges.”
The source added that the charges were accompanied by a list of the “14 potential witnesses,” who were all said to be policemen.
The Point learned, “In fact, all the witnesses listed so far are policemen. So, the prosecution may later amend its proof of evidence by filing additional list of witnesses to bring in others including INEC officials as prosecution witnesses.
“It is always within the rights of the prosecution to reduce or add to the number of its proposed witnesses.”
In a seven-count charge preferred against the defendants, in the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CR/42/2017, filed on March 7, it was alleged that the sum of N360 million the defendants allegedly received from Wike, represented proceeds of the governor’s criminal conduct, as well as economic and financial crimes.
The defendants were alleged to have between December 7 and 10, 2016, “converted, concealed, were in possession” and “used” the sum of N360 million bribe in violations of various provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment, etc) Act, 2004.
The 23 INEC officials are said to include three state coordinators of the electoral body.
The accused persons, amongst who were three state coordinators of INEC include: Shittu Lamido (Shettima), Henry Owokure, Peter Ewatade, Mrs. Mary Tunkoyo Pennap, Gwatana Jibril, Ivase Stephen and Abdullahi Ogabo.
Others were: Gayus Hassan, Hussaina Yahaya, James Ogwuche, Karimu Aminu and Adedokun Najeem Ayotunde.
The rest were: Balogun Funmilayo, Adams Kadiri, Akinwande Adesoji, Lukeman Olabimpe, Tiamiyu R. Arowolo, Akinwoye Amodu, Nwoha Yusuf, Patrick Anuke, Iro Abali, Nwosu Oluchi and Arukwe Chinelo.
Count 1 states that the defendants, “all electoral officers and staff of INEC, between December 7 and 10, 2016 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, did conspire to convert the sum of N360,000,000 directly from bribery and corruption, in connection with the Rivers State re-run election, which took place on December 10, 2016.”
Count 2 alleged that the accused persons “did convert the sum of N360,000,000, being money derived directly from bribery and corruption, in connection with the Rivers State rerun election, which took place on December 10, 2016, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the money.”
