Court grants EFCC leave to arraign Hembe

An Abuja High Court has given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) leave to arraign Honouarables Iorwase Hembe and Azubuogu Emeka Ifeanyi on a two-count charge of diversion of public funds.

Hembe and Ifeanyi were serving as Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets and Institutions respectively before a bribery allegation by the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh led to their replacement.

Ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking leave to prefer criminal charges against the lawmakers, Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar held that the application has merit based on the proof of evidence.

In the two counts charge brought by counsel to the EFCC Mr Onjefu Obe, the anti-graft agency alleged that Hembe and Ifeanyi converted to their own use the sum of $4095, about six hundred thousand naira given to them by the SEC as traveling allowance to a conference in Dominican Republic in October, 2011.

The offence is contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The court set May 17 2012 for arraignment.

Count One

"That you Hon Iorwase Herman Hembe sometime in October 2011 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of $4095 (Four thousand, Ninety Five Dollars) being money given to you by the Securities and Exchange Commission as your travelling allowance to PUNCTA CANA, Dominican Republic to attend a conference which you did not attend and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 2004 and punishable under section 309 of the same code.

Count Two

“That you Hon Azubogu Chris Emeka Ifeanyi sometime in October, 2011 in Abuja within the Judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of $4095 (Four thousand, Ninety Five Dollars) being money given to you by the Securities and Exchange Commission as your traveling allowance to PUNCTA CANA, Dominican Republic to attend a conference which you did not attend and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 2004 and punishable under section 309 of the same code.”

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Daily Trust