Federal Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and fraudulent acquisition of property against former presidential adviser on Niger Delta Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, and one of his aides, Lawrence Pepple.

Pepple served as a technical assistant to Kingsley when he held sway as the chief executive of the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme for the repentant militants from the Niger Delta region under former President Jonathan.

However the arraignment of the accused persons before an Abuja High Court yesterday suffered setback following the absence of Kuku and the trial judge. Kuku, in the charge, was alleged to have fled the country shortly after the change of government last year on the pretext of going for medical attention and had since not returned to the country.

The charge filed by Johnson Ojogbane and Abdullahi Faruk on behalf of the EFCC, Kuku and his former aide are being accused of fraudulently acquiring a property in October 2013.

Pepple was specifically accused of knowingly acquiring interest in a private company where he is a director and sole signatory to the company’s account while being employed in the public service as technical assistant on reintegration to the special adviser on Niger Delta Affairs. In another charge, Kuku and his former special assistant on media and communication, Mr.

Henry Ogbolue, in a three-count charge were accused of criminal conspiracy and award of contract worth over N27m to a private company which has Ogbolue as the sole signatory to the accounts of the company. Ogbolue is also accused of deliberately failing to declare his assets located at Plot 261, Durumi, Abuja, while completing his assets declaration form on September 4, 2015. The arrangement has however been fixed for April 201.

Nationalmirror……

This page has been viewed 299 times