Juliana Francis
A public officer with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), identified as Mr Umar Isa Gachi, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for offences bordering on money laundering and making false returns.
The defendant is an accounting officer, who was deployed to the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.
ICPC Acting Director, Public Enlightenment and Education, Mr Demola Bakare, said that Gachi was arraigned on a 4-count charge before Honourable Justice Iyang E. Ekwo of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 5 sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
Bakare added: “In a Charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/172/2022 filed before the trial court, ICPC alleged that the defendant received the total sum of 135million naira as impress for the rehabilitation of certain public works in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The Commission further informed the Court of how the defendant used fake receipts for the retirement of the works he claimed to have done which included repair of streetlights, and distilling of drainages amongst others.”
Also, Count 4 reads, “That you Umar Isah Gachi (M) sometime in March 2014 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court knowingly furnished false returns of retirement of the sum of N40,000,000 only for the replacement of street lights at Asokoro District of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja which fund you received from the Fidelity Bank account (No. 5030030015) into your Fidelity Bank account (No. 6051999273), when you knew the said fund was not used for the purpose for which it was released and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 16 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000”.
“His offences are contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, and Sections 16 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Gachi pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him for his plea.
The trial began on 15th November 2022 and the ICPC through its counsel Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha called two witnesses as proof of the allegations case and closed its case.
Thereafter the defendant entered his defence and closed his case on the 8th day of May 2024. The trial court adjourned the matter to the 24th of June 2024 for the adoption of written addresses of the parties.
