EFCC arraigns Oronsaye on fresh N190m ‘419′ charge

A former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, was Tuesday arrained before Justice Olasumbo Goodluck of the Federal Capital Territory High Court over a fresh N190m alleged fraud.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the former HoS was alleged to have abused his position as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Financial Action Task Force by fraudulently obtaining N190m, which the anti-graft agency insisted was part of N240m grant the committee received from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

In the two count charge, the EFCC alleged that the fund was paid into an Access Bank account operated by Oronsaye, without the knowledge of other members of the committee, thereby investing the money for his personal gain.

Orosanye pleaded not guilty to the charge while counsel to the EFCC, Mr. O. Uket, applied that he be remanded in prison custody pending trial.

“My lord, we shall be asking for a date to commence the trial, in the interim however we apply that the defendant be remanded in prison custody”, Uket submitted.

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Uket application however drew the ire of the defence counsel, Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, who drew the attention of the court to the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, on Monday, that criminal cases must be heard on a day-to-day basis, starting from the day of arraignment.

He prayed the court to compel the EFCC to immediately open its case against his client.

Justice Goodluck, while ruling on the application, ordered the prosecution to produce its witnesses immediately.

Uket thereafter sought the leave of the court to stand down the case to enable him get some of the proposed witnesses to appear in court. The application was granted by Justice Goodluck.

It would be recalled that Orosanye had earlier been charged to court in an amended 35-count charge bordering on his alleged complicity in a N1.9bilion fraud.

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