By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Ali Gambo Abdullahi, the personal assistant to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

EFCC operatives

Abdullahi was docked before Justice Chizoba Orji on a two-count criminal charge bordering on his alleged complicity in a N10 million bribery scandal involving the CCT chairman.

He was accused of giving false information to EFCC investigators with regards  to  about N1.8 million he collected from  retired Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo  Owolabi, who is standing trial before the CCT over alleged false declaration of assets.

Owolabi had accused Justice Umar of demanding N10 million  from him to influence the outcome of the charge which was entered against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

Owolabi said he had in furtherance of the arrangement, paid the sum of N1.8 million to the tribunal Chairman through his P.A, Abdullahi, via Zenith Bank account No.  1002849471.

Nevertheless,  Abdullahi, in a statement he made before the EFCC, maintained that Owolabi gave him the N1.8 milion  to settle his father’s medical bills.

However, the EFCC, in the charge, accused Abdullahi who was said to have initially admitted that he collected the money as a proxy, of giving inconsistent statements pertaining to the actual reason behind the money he collected from Owolabi.

Specifically, the two count charge the anti-graft agency preferred  against him read: “That you Ali Gambo Abdullahi, sometimes in August 2013 at Abuja within the Judicial division of the court, did made a statement to one Abdulmajeed Ibrahim, a detective with the EFCC while in the course of the exercise of the duty of his office that the sum of N1.8 million paid into your Zenith Bank Account Nuumber 1002849471 on December 12, 2012, by one Rasheed Owolabi, was a payment made to assist you to settle your father’s hospital bill which statement you knew to be untrue, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 39(2)(a) of the EFCC Act. 2004 and punishable under Section (39) (2) (b) of the same act.

Meanwhile, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as the court adjourned trial on the matter till March 15.

It will be recalled that  a non governmental organisation under the platform of the Registered Trustees of the Mission for Peace and Development Initiative,  had earlier dragged Justice Umar before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the allegation.

The group, in the suit they filed through their lawyer Chief Mike Ozehkome, SAN, said it has documents showing that the CCT chairman actually demanded bribe to terminate the charge against Owolabi.

Among exhibits the group attached to the suit included the photocopy of a cheque with which the N1.8m was allegedly paid to Justice Umar through his proxy, a copy of the statement the CCT chairman made before the EFCC, where he admitted having a private meeting with Mr. Owolabi in his office,  as well as the statement of his P.A, Abdullahi.

Other documents the plaintiff also adduced before the court were a copy of the application with which Justice Umar was granted administrative bail by the anti-graft agency, and a letter that was forwarded to former President Goodluck Jonathan by two other members of the tribunal, Justices  Robert Odu and W. Agwaza Atedze, wherein they called for a thorough investigation  into the bribery scandal so as  \’to save the CCT from embarrassment\’.

The group prayed the high court for an order compelling Justice Umar to vacate his position as the CCT chairman on the ground that he is not fit and proper to superintend over the criminal prosecution of any Nigerian, with  himself having a criminal case hanging on his neck.