The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two project officers for allegedly diverting World Bank funds meant for rehabilitation of schools in Adamawa state.
The defendants are Popoona Samuel and Arama Davies Gyandi, officers under the state education investment project in the office of the accountant-general of Adamawa state in 2020.
They were arraigned at the federal high court sitting in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, on a four-count charge bordering on money laundering and retention/conversion of proceeds of an unlawful act.
The anti-graft agency accused them of allegedly conspiring to launder funds belonging to the school-based management committees in the state.
“That you, Popoona Samuel (M) and Arama Davies Gyandi (M), sometime in the year 2020, at Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while serving as State Education Investment Project Officers in the Office of The Accountant General of Adamawa State, did conspire among yourselves to commit an offence of money laundering, to wit: you took possession of the total sum ofN2,400,000.00 (Two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) refunded by the School-Based Management Committee of Kwaja Primary School, Mubi South, which was paid into Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 2116268547 belonging to Popoona Samuel, out of which the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) was transferred to UBA Plc Account No: 2302541629 belonging to Arama Davies Gyandi, being part of the funds provided by the World Bank for the renovation of primary schools affected by insurgency in Adamawa, state when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sums formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: corruption,” part of the charge sheet reads.
“That you, Popoona Samuel (M), sometime in the year 2020, at Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while serving as the State Education investment Project Officer in the Office of the Accountant General of Adamawa State, did take possession of the sum of N2,500,000.00 (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) refunded by the School-Based Management Committee of Mutuku Primary School, Hong, from Unity Bank Plc Account No:0042530017 and the sum of N2,400,000.00 (Two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) refunded by the School-Based Management Committee of Kwaja Primary School, Mubi South, into your Zenith Bank Plc Account No:2116268547, being part of the funds provided by the World Bank for the renovation of primary schools affected by insurgency in Adamawa State, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sums formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: corruption.”
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After the pleas were taken, T.S. Lorngee, counsel to the ICPC, applied for a date for the commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, S.J. Wugira, counsel to the defendants, moved an application for bail for his clients.
Tijjani Ringin, the trial judge, granted the defendants’ application with a N5 million bail bond and one surety in like sum.
The judge ruled that the surety must be a federal public servant or a public servant in Adamawa on salary grade level 14 and above, or a traditional ruler not below the rank of district head.
He asked defendants and their surety to provide two recent passport photographs, an official means of identification, a valid registered phone number, an affidavit of means, and a recommendation letter from their counsel.
The judge adjourned the case to October 22 for the commencement of the trial.
