Ex-Gov Nnamani, docked, remanded in EFCC custody

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, Enugu, State News Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani was arraigned yesterday and later remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the orders of an Enugu High Court pending a bail application which is due for hearing on Wednesday next week.

The anti-corruption body arraigned the former governor in the state High Court, accusing him and five others of defrauding the state government of over one billion naira in alleged failed road contracts. The 15-count charge brought against the estranged political godfather of Governor Sullivan Chime and leader of the ebeano political group all bothered on road contracts alleged to have been awarded but not executed after contract sums were alleged to have been collected.

There was an initial delay by the EFCC in bringing the accused persons to court. The people present in Court heard the charges against Nnamani and Jacob Nwatu as well as four companies read but waited in vain for EFCC to arraign the suspects. The Court later rose at about 9.50am. However, operatives of the commission later came in with the former governor and Nwatu at about 10 am, and his lead counsel, Rickey Tarfa. The lead counsel and others made frantic efforts that eventually made the judge to resume sitting after adjourning the case till Tuesday, May 31.

When Agbata returned and took his seat at 10.21 am, the drama that characterized the arraignment continued as the Judge queried the prosecution counsel, K.C. Uzozie, asking, “Why are you late to cour?” Uzozie responded; “we are sorry, my lord. We are late because the second accused person was not ready and we waited to produce him court. We didn’t want our appearance here to be in vain since the matter would not go on in their absence”.

Uzozie proceeded to make an oral application for the vacation of the earlier order adjourning till next week and Tarfa supported the application. Justice Agbata promptly vacated his earlier order and proceeded to hear the matter.
In the second charge, the prosecution accused Nnamani, Nwatu and others of claiming over N69m on August 3, 2002, from the state government for execution of road projects but that the road was not constructed.

In another count charge, the accused persons were alleged to have similarly conspired to defraud the state government of over N514 million being cost of road construction not executed. Nnamani, Nwatu and the companies pleaded not guilty to the 15 charges brought against them. But Uzozie, counsel to the EFCC told the court that the prosecution witnesses were ready and sought accelerated hearing of the matter.

Counsel to the former governor mentioned the issue of bail for his client bvefore the court, saying, “let us discuss the issue of personal liberty of the accused persons. Our bail application is ready and we will file it today and serve the prosecution counsel thereafter”. He explained that “we are seeing these charges for the first time this morning, just before the court sitting.” He, therefore, applied for the order of the court that the accused remain in EFCC custody till next adjourned date.
The matter was adjourned till Wednesday, June 1, for hearing of the bail application.

Outside the court room, supporters’ of the former governor besieged the premises of the court which was built during his administration to show their solidarity. They chanted slogans of his Ebeano political machinery and urging the ex-governor to be of good courage.

-Sunwp_posts