The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday filed 16-count charge against a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, and five others for allegedly mismanaging N14.5billion Police Pension funds.
The six suspects will be arraigned before Justice Abubakar Talba of the FCT High Court in Gudu today.
Besides the Permanent Secretary, other suspects are: Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira.
An EFCC source said: “Our legal team filed 16 charges against the suspects and the court gave us Thursday to arraign them for the commencement of their trial.
“The 16 charges border on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in respect of N14, 518,567, 724.36.
“We have established a big fraud case against the suspects and their trial will begin with their arraignment on Thursday.
“Out of the six suspects, three did admit that they mismanaged the Police Pension funds.
“For instance, the Permanent Secretary and two directors confessed under caution that they diverted over N14.3billion.
“During interrogation, one of them admitted embezzling N1.9billion; the second said he mismanaged over N3billion and the third confessed to fiddling with N8billion. The Permanent Secretary and the two directors were at various times Director of Police Pension Funds.”
The six suspects, who had been on bail, were re-arrested yesterday, preparatory to their trial.
The source added: “The suspects are back in EFCC custody. We will take them to court from our end.
But the case may witness more drama as the suspects have vowed to make startling revelations during their trial.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “It is true that we have filed charges against the suspects and they will be arraigned on Thursday.”
He refused to give the details of the charges.
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