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ICPC arraigns Civil servant over $140,000 US property, N162m fraud

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Constituency project hospital equipment recovered from private home in Akwa Ibom

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC has arraigned a director in the Federal Ministry of Education, Victor Igboanugo, for purchasing a property worth $140,000 in the United States of America and for perpetrating fraud to the tune of N162 million.

The suspect, who was arraigned before Justice V. B. Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, was also accused of receiving kickbacks to the tune of N20 million.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, the ICPC said: “The accused is being arraigned for alleged contract fraud to the tune of N162m and ownership of a property valued way above his legitimate income.

“Mr Igboanugo, who had worked at various times in the ministries of Environment and Niger Delta Affairs, is facing 17 counts before Justice Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court 23, Apo, Abuja.”

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The charges read in part: “That you, Victor Igboanugo, sometime in October 2008 or thereabout in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, while being a public officer, used your position as Deputy Director and Secretary of the Ministerial Tenders’ Board of the Federal Ministry of Environment to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by awarding a contract for the construction of a three-bedroom semi-detached bungalow at the Prototype Housing Scheme, Asaba, Delta State, to your company, Echedom Technical & Trading Company Limited for a contract sum of N10.5m, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

The defendant, who pleaded not guilty, was granted bail in the sum of N2 million with one surety in like sum. The surety must also be on grade level 14 or above in the civil service.

The case was adjourned to June 19, 2019.

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