The Federal Government has slammed fresh charges against Steve Oronsaye, former head of service of the Federation, and five others before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The amended charge contains 35 counts bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.
Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier filed a 24-count charge against Oronsaye and two other defendants over alleged fraud and money laundering offences involving N1.2 billion.
It was gathered that further investigation into the fraud had necessitated a need to amend the 24-count charge initially brought against Oronsaye on July 13, 2015, in which along with his co-accused, Osarenkhoe Afe, and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, he is alleged to have been complicit in several biometric contract awards during his tenure as HoS.
At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, prosecuting counsel, Adebisi Adeniyi, told the court that three additional defendants that were corporate bodies had been included.
He gave the names as: Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited and Drew Investment and Construction Company Limited.
“We attempted to serve Cluster Logistic Limited with the amended charges, but observed that the address at the location of the head office did not correspond with the particulars we had,” he said.
He further told the court that efforts were being made to get the charges across to the company and the other two defendants.
He therefore requested the court for a new date, in order for the accused persons to be served.
Opposing the process of filing the amended charge, Oronsaye’s lawyer, Kola Okeaya-Inneh was of the view that the prosecution “cannot file an amended charge without a prior formal application to so.”
Ruling on the application, Justice Kolawole said the prosecution could bring an amended charge at the stage of the proceedings without the need to file any formal application for leave of court to do so.
He however criticized the prosecution’s sudden realisation that it needed to file an amended charge when it was less than 24 hours to the date that had been fixed for the commencement of trial.
Justice Kolawole in acceding to his request adjourned till November 25, 2015.
In one of the counts in the amended charge dated November 2, 2015, Oronsaye is alleged to have in connivance with Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina (now at large), Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited in July 2010 “collaborated in disguising genuine nature of the sum of N161,472,000 derived from an illegal act to wit conducting procurement fraud by means of fraudulent and corrupt act on the contract extension of biometric enrolment purportedly awarded to Innovative Solutions Limited by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, without following due process, an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004”.
Cluster Logistic Limited and Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited were also alleged to have connived with Maina (alias Abdullahi A. Faizal now at large) in February 2014 to “transfer the sum of N33, 800,000 to West Waves Bureau De Change from the account of Cluster Logistic Limited maintained by Maina.”
Consequently, Justice Kolawole adjourned the matter till November 25 2015, to enable the prosecution serve the fresh charges on the new co-defendants for them to take their pleas.
Seyi Anjorin & Stella Enenche
