N179.8m fraud: INEC officials remanded in prison custody

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday July 30th, 2018 arraigned 3 INEC officials identified as Yemi Akinwonmi, Dickson Atiba, and Ogunmodede Oladayo before Justice Sule Hassan on eight counts bordering on conspiracy, benefiting from crime proceeds, receiving cash sums without going through financial institutions and accepting cash exceeding the amount authorised by the law.

The accused were alleged to have received the sum of N179.8m from various commercial banks in March 2015 from former minister Allison Diezani Madueke in the build-up to the year’s General Elections.

The offences contravened the provisions of Sections 15(2)(d), 16 (d) 1(a), 16 (1) (d),16 (d) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
After their plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to remand them in prison custody, and issue a trial date.

Justice Hassan consequently adjourned the case until August 6, for the hearing of the bail applications.
The court ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing of their bail motion.