The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday  arraigned three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and charged them with receiving N179.8 million  stolen money as bribe  from former oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The INEC staff docked in Lagos today for receiving Diezani AlisonMadueke’s bribe to rig 2015 elections

The men, Yemi Akinwunmi, Atiba Dickson and Ogunmodede  Oladayo, docked  before Justice Muslim Hassan, of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi  are being tried on an eight-count charge  bordering on conspiracy, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

The defendants- -were alleged to have collected the slush funds in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

Investigation revealed that the money was disbursed to some chieftains and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as well as some retired staff of INEC in Ogun State  to compromise the 2015 general elections.

One of the INEC staff on arrival in Ikoyi court today

 One of the counts reads: “ That you, Yemi Akinwunmi, Dickson Atiba and Ogunmodede Oladayo, sometime in March, 2015 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to directly take possession of the sum of N179,800,000.00(One Hundred and Seventy- nine Million, Eight hundred Thousand Naira) ,which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of fraud and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Another INEC staff in court today

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.

However, counsel to the defendant, Ayo Ogungbesan, moved an oral application for bail on behalf of his clients.

In refusing the bail application, the judge held that the defence counsel must make a formal application for bail on behalf of his clients.

Consequently, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter to August 6, 2018 for hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendants to be remanded prison custody.

NAN