Ishaq Kawu
A federal high court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Ishaq Kawu, former director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), of fraud allegations.
Kawu was first arraigned in May 2019 on a 12-count charge alongside Dipo Onifade, Pinnacle Communications Limited and its former chairman, Lucky Omoluwa.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) accused the defendants of allegedly paying N2.5 billion seed grant for the digital switchover (DSO) project to Pinnacle Communications Limited.
ICPC charged Kawu with abuse of office, money laundering and misleading a public officer with the intent to defraud the federal government.
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The act was said to contravene sections 26 (1) (c) and punishable under the section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Although the defendants filed a no-case submission, it was later dismissed by the federal high court and also dismissed by the court of appeal.
The defendants, except Omoluwa who died in February 2020, were later re-arraigned on a five-count charge in December 2020.
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Delivering judgment on Thursday, Folasade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, the presiding judge, held that the ICPC was not able to prove the allegations against the defendants.
The judge further discharged the defendants on the grounds that the statements and evidences of the witnesses, could not link any allegation against the defendants.
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