Igbinedion to stay in prison till February 4 - Court refuses him bail, orders his remand

From Jude Ossai and Lanre Adewole - 24.01.2008

A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on Wednesday remanded the former governor of Edo State, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion till February 4, for ruling on his application for bail.

Igbinedion was arraigned at the court presided over by Justice Faji Olayinka on a 147-count charge which included money laundering. Three companies were allegedly used by him to siphon money belonging to the state. When Igbinedion appeared before the court, nine charges against the fourth defendant were dropped on the grounds that they were not “justiceable” and the accused was still at large.

Counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs, applied for the withdrawal of the dropped charges, saying that they would be re-enlisted when the accused was apprehended.

Dressed in white brocade caftan, Igbinedion was ushered into the dock at 1.36 p.m. where the charges of looting and laundering more than N2.9 billion belonging to the Edo State government between 2003 and 2007 were read to him.The ex-governor pleaded not guilty to all the charges

In the charges read out to the ex-governor which lasted for close to two hours, Igbinedon was said to have at various times transferred sums of money amounting to millions of naira which he illegally withdrew from the accounts of the Edo State government.

He was equally said to have procured KIVA Corporation Ltd, GAVA Corporation Ltd and Ekpen and Sons Ltd owned by him, his brother, Mike Igbinedon and his former Senior Special Adviser, Patrick Eboigbodin, and used them as conduits to steal the funds.

The former governor was further alleged to have collaborated with the aforementioned companies to conceal the genuine origins of various sums amounting to millions of naira which form part of fund illegally withdrawn fromed the accounts of Edo State government.

All the funds were said to represent the proceeds of crime committed contrary to section 17 and punishable under section 16 of money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2003.

After inquiring from counsel for Igbinedon, Adetunji Oyeyipo, Justice Olayinka directed the counsel to both parties to complete the process of service of written addresses on the bail application by February 1, and adjourned the case to February 4.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Edo State Government during the administration of Igbinedion, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has been listed by the EFCC as one of the 23 star witnesses to testify against the former governor.

The prosecution has also added another company, Romrig Nigeria Ltd, to the list of the accused in the trial, just as it preferred additional 14 counts to the charge.

According to the amended charge obtained by the Nigerian Tribune, Romrig reportedly belonged to Michael Igbinedion, a Senior Special Assistant to the former governor, and was allegedly used to launder millions of naira belonging to the state.

Other persons listed as prosecution witnesses included; Philip Ehigie, Sunday Okuridia, Isaac Ebose Ehiozua, Edoghaye Victor, Ade Lawal, Wilson Ogieva, Benson Airen Ben Omoruyi, Ajibade Adeniyi, C.O. Ekate, Ojobo Adolphus, Harrison Aigbedieri, Ekhorudomwen, Felicia Edobor-Olajide, Momoh Bosede Matilda, Osa Osunde.

Others are; CSP Kabir Abubakar Shehu, DSP Lawal Abdullahi, DSP Abubakar Madaki, DDS Hamza Abdullahi, DDS Adenike Sanni, CPI Sulaman Ahmed and Mohammed Ogidi.

Apart from testifying, the officers who investigated him, would also tender exhibits against the former governor during the trial.