The Chief Executive Officer, General Duties and Procurement, Kaduna State Polytechnic, Mr. Ahmed Umar, has been docked before Justice M.T.M Tukur of Kaduna State High Court 7 sitting in Kaduna by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged contract inflation and award of contracts to a company which he owned.
The accused was arraigned on a 7-count charge bordering on holding a private interest in the award of contracts, fraudulent acquisition of property, conferring corrupt advantage upon himself and inflation of goods and services to the tune of N39, 361,027.50.
Mr. Umar was said to have inflated the cost of an executive conference table from N350,000 to N1,250,000 and the cost of a Chinese carpet from N567,600 to N2,017,600.
The defendant was also accused of using his office for gratification by awarding the contract for the rehabilitation of a road and parking lot worth N12,662,590 and the procurement of 1,277 two-seater classroom chairs worth N22,459,237.50 to Skylight Nigeria Limited, a company of which he was the proprietor.
Mr. Umar’s actions contravene sections 12,19 and 22, sub-section 3 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and if found guilty, he shall on conviction be liable to a term of imprisonment ranging from 5 to 7 years.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him and was granted bail in the sum of N2 million with a surety in like sum who must be a government level 14 officer with evidence of residing in Kaduna for the past 5 years.
The matter was adjourned to 29th June 2017 for the commencement of hearing.
The accused was arraigned on a 7-count charge bordering on holding a private interest in the award of contracts, fraudulent acquisition of property, conferring corrupt advantage upon himself and inflation of goods and services to the tune of N39, 361,027.50.
Mr. Umar was said to have inflated the cost of an executive conference table from N350,000 to N1,250,000 and the cost of a Chinese carpet from N567,600 to N2,017,600.
The defendant was also accused of using his office for gratification by awarding the contract for the rehabilitation of a road and parking lot worth N12,662,590 and the procurement of 1,277 two-seater classroom chairs worth N22,459,237.50 to Skylight Nigeria Limited, a company of which he was the proprietor.
Mr. Umar’s actions contravene sections 12,19 and 22, sub-section 3 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and if found guilty, he shall on conviction be liable to a term of imprisonment ranging from 5 to 7 years.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him and was granted bail in the sum of N2 million with a surety in like sum who must be a government level 14 officer with evidence of residing in Kaduna for the past 5 years.
The matter was adjourned to 29th June 2017 for the commencement of hearing.
Also, ICPC has arraigned the Managing Director (MD) of an investment company and his company before Honourable Justice A.S. Adepoju of High Court 30 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Wuse for alleged forgery, making false statement and submission of fake documents in a bid to secure a contract from the Federal Government.
The accused person, Engineer Olayiwola Ayeni, who is the owner of Joma Investment Limited was alleged to have submitted forged tax clearance certificates for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 with false figures which according to him were purportedly issued by the Federal Inland Revenues Service (FIRS), to scale a prequalification bid.
As part of the bidding process for a contract to be awarded, all bidding companies must indicate their turnover figures for previous years as evidence that they have the capability to carry out such a contract.
The accused person, Engineer Olayiwola Ayeni, who is the owner of Joma Investment Limited was alleged to have submitted forged tax clearance certificates for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 with false figures which according to him were purportedly issued by the Federal Inland Revenues Service (FIRS), to scale a prequalification bid.
As part of the bidding process for a contract to be awarded, all bidding companies must indicate their turnover figures for previous years as evidence that they have the capability to carry out such a contract.
In the light of this, Engineer Ayeni, jacked up the turnover figures of his company because it did not meet the threshold.
The defendant and the company were therefore charged on 3 counts for submitting false documents to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing.
Their actions were contrary to and punishable under sections 17 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against them and were granted bail in the sum of N5 million with a surety in like sum who must be an officer not below Grade Level 15 in the Federal Civil Service.
Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, Spokesperson, ICPC.
The defendant and the company were therefore charged on 3 counts for submitting false documents to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing.
Their actions were contrary to and punishable under sections 17 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against them and were granted bail in the sum of N5 million with a surety in like sum who must be an officer not below Grade Level 15 in the Federal Civil Service.
Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, Spokesperson, ICPC.
