ICPC arraigns civil servant for N3.5m fraud

A civil servant with the Yobe State Government, Mohammed Ali Garba, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for offences bordering on extortion impersonation, and forgery.

Garba was arraigned before Justice M.A. Hassan of the High Court sitting in Abuja.

The ICPC, in charge no: CR/478/2022 filed before the court, alleged that the defendant forged a letter of investigation activities of an ongoing investigation against the Provost of the Federal College of Education, Oji River, purportedly signed by the commission’s Director of Operations.

The commission further alleged that the defendant used the fake letter of investigation activities to extort N3.5 million from the Provost in the guise that he would settle the Director of Operations to “kill the non-existent investigation”.

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As part of the charges, the ICPC accused the defendant of making a false statement by stating that he did not further his education beyond the primary level when he actually holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics/English from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State.

According to the commission, Garba’s offences are contrary to, and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act, and sections 10 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him.

His counsel, A.D. Atanda and M.K. Akanbi, thereafter raised a bail application on behalf of their client which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Mashkur Salisu.

Justice Hassan, therefore, adjourned the matter till January 15, 2023, for determination of the bail application.

Meanwhile, the judge ordered the administrative bail earlier granted him by the ICPC to subsist.

The Star