Former minister of Niger Delta Affairs under former
President Goodluck Jonathan, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has been acquitted by an
Abuja High Court sitting at Apo over alleged N1.97 billion fraud.
Orubebe secured the victory on Tuesday, March 4 as the court
reportedly struck out the six-count charge slammed on him by the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over his alleged
complicity in a N1.97 billion contract fraud.
It was learnt that the Attorney General of the Federation
and minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, in a letter to chairman of the
ICPC, with Ref No DPPA/MNDA/345/16, confirmed that the N1,965,576,153.46, which
Orubebe was claimed to have diverted, had not been touched, “but is awaiting
further contract decisions and directives from the Ministry of Niger-Delta
Affairs.”
The letter signed by the director of public prosecution and
dated December 16, 2016, the AGF said: “In view of the above, the basis for the
prosecution of the accused persons for misappropriation does not exist and
thus, further prosecution cannot be justified.”
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi discharged and acquitted the
defendants, after the charge was then withdrawn by the ICPC counsel, Mr. Ekoi
Akpos.
The report said the charge was withdrawn same day the court
asked the ICPC to produce its witnesses to establish that Orubebe actually
diverted funds meant for the compensation of owners of properties on Eket urban
section of the East-West Road in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.
This Post first appeared on THE SUN
