The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Gombe Zonal office has arraigned four directors of the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service, for alleged conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and N47 million money laundering.
The suspects are Aishatu Yakubu, Executive Director, Admin and Finance; Mohammed Musa Mohammed, Executive Director, Tax Operation; Wesley Kumusa Audu, Executive Director, Tax and Audit, and Mijinyawa Sani Labaran, Executive Director, Non Tax Operations.
The suspects were made to appear before Justice Nehizena I. Afolabi of the Federal High Court, Gombe State.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said this in a statement in Abuja.
Further, he explained, “The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to pay several allowances and benefits which amounted to N47m without approval.
“They also awarded fictitious contracts for which payments were released and diverted for their personal use.
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“The payments were made from the national plate number account of the Board which is meant for remittance into the state internally generated revenue, IGR account”.
Count one of the charge reads, “That you, AISHATU YAKUBU, MOHAMMED MUSA MOHAMMED, WESLEY KUMUSA AUDU and MIJINYAWA SANI LABARAN sometime in December, 2018 or thereabout at Gombe, Gombe State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did agree among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: convert monies properties of Gombe State Board of Internal Revenue Service and thereby committed an offence, contrary to, and Punishable under the provision of Section 18 (a) & (c) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition ) Act,LFN 2011 ( as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act”.
But all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution counsel, A.Y Muntaka, therefore, applied to the court for a date to commence the trial.
The defence counsel Habu Abdu, however, sought the leave of the Court to move the bail application of his clients, which was granted by the Judge.
In his ruling, Justice Afolabi granted the defendants bail in the sum of N15m each and two sureties in like sum.
He also ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant and the other, a civil servant of level 14 or above.
Further, the presiding Justice added that the sureties must be resident within Gombe Metropolitan City and have landed properties with Certificate of Occupancy and, adjourned the case to February 4, 2020 for trial.
