The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, on Monday arraigned five persons and two companies before Justice
I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Calabar, Cross Rivers State on a
five count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, bid rigging, abuse of
office and breach of due process contrary to the procurement Acts of
2007.
The defendants are Professor Thomas U.
Agan, Chief Medical Director, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital,
Offor Jonan Offor, Head, Works and Engineering, University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital, Francis I. Otu, chief Administrative Officer and
head, Legal Services of the same hospital.
Others
are Okocha Anthony, Emmanuel Etta Nkim, Anchor Industrial &
Construction Services Nigeria Limited and Basemark Energy Nigeria
Limited.
The trio of Professor Agan, Offor
and Otu were said to have used their position to corruptly influence the
award of contract to the other four accused persons. The contract was
executed through inflated cost and so failed to follow due process with
the accused persons corruptly enriching themselves to the tune of
N85,062,000.00 thereby contravening the provisions of the Public
Procurement Act 2007.
Count one of the
charge reads, That you Prof. Thomas U. AGAN as chief Medical Director,
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Offor Jonah Offor as Head of
Woirks and Engineering, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Francis
I. Utu as Chief Administrative officer and head of Legal Services,
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Okocha Anthony being the alter
ego of Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nigeria Limited and
Emmanuel Etta Nkim being the Alter Ego of Basemark Energy Nigeria
Limited sometime in the month of October 2015 in Calabar, Cross Rivers
State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspired
amongst yourselves to Bid rig for the Purchase of one Advance Life
Support Ambulance vehicle and one Toyota Coaster Bus 30 seater to Messrs
Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited and Anchor Industrial and Construction
Services Nigeria Limited contrary to Section 58(4) of the Public
Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 and thereby committed an offence punishable
under Section 58(5) of the same Act.
When the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.
In view of their please, the prosecution counsel, Kayode Oni asked the
court to remand the defendants in prison custody and to fix a date for
trial. However, attempt by the defence counsel, Mba Ukwenyi, Senior
Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to move an oral application for bail for his
clients was refused by the judge who ordered that a formal application
by filed.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the case to May 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 for trial.
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