Ex-FUTA VC, Bursar discharged of N156m fraud

Justice Williams Olamide of Akure High Court sitting in Akure has discharged the immediate former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) Prof. Adebiyi Daramola and the bursar of the school Mr Ayodeji Oresegun of N156m fraud suit filed against them.

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), through its prosecutor, Dr Ben Ubi had, in a 17-count charge dragged the duo to court on charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretences, abuse of office, misappropriation of funds and conspiracy to steal the said amount belonging to the institution.

The charges read: “That you, Professor Adebiyi G. Daramola and Emmanuel A. Ayodeji Oresegun, on or about the 21st January 2015, at Akure within the Akure Judicial Division of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, conspired to fix the sum of N100,000,000.00 only, property of the Federal University of Technology, Akure in a Wema Bank account No: 1300003035 without due process.”

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges and were discharged by the court of any criminal liabilities in the charges preferred against them by the anti-graft agency.

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In his verdict, Justice Olamide said that prosecutors failed to establish before the court all the allegations levied against the appellants.

Justice Olamide stated that he was inclined to believe the claims of the defendants as the prosecution could not sufficiently link them with the crime.

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