Oronsaye’s trial must start ‘immediately’, court rules

The trial of Stephen Oronsaye, former head of the federal civil service, will commence immediately after his arraignment, an Abuja high court has ruled.

Paul Uket, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had asked the court to remand the accused person in prison after he pleaded not guilty to the charges of corruption and obtaining by false pretence brought against him by the EFCC.

“In view of the plea, my lord, we urge this court to remand the accused person in prison custody,” Uket said.

But Joe Agi, counsel to Oronsaye, faulted the submission of the EFCC, stating that he was ready for a day-to-day trial.

“It is unfortunate that the prosecution will say remand the defendant in prison so that we can go and prepare,” he said.

“Only yesterday, the chief justice of Nigeria, re-emphasised it will now be misconduct on the part of judicial officers who do not hear corruption cases day-to-day. So, if EFCC say they want to go and prepare, they have come to court unprepared.

“We are prepared to start this case day-to-day.”

Thereafter, the court stood down the case for an hour, after which the calling of witnesses by the prosecution would begin.

On Tuesday, the EFCC arraigned Oronsaye before Justice O O Goodluck of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court, Abuja, on a fresh two-count of corruption and obtaining by false pretence.

According to the EFCC, the fresh charges followed the completion of its investigation, and on the evidence that the former top bureaucrat allegedly abused his position as chair of the presidential committee on the financial action task force to fraudulently obtain a total sum of N190m, being part of the N240m grant, which the committee received from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The grant, investigation revealed, was allegedly paid into an account in Access Bank operated by Oronsaye without the knowledge of other committee members and he proceeded to invest the funds for personal gains,” the anti-graft agency explained.

The charges read: “Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye on or about 12th June, 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the high court of the federal capital territory whilst being the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N90,000,000.00 ( Ninety Million Naira) committed breach of trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 9.0% interest rate in violation of the extant financial regulations

“Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye on or about 30th December, 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the high court of the federal capital territory whilst being the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N100,000,000.00 ( One Hundred Million Naira) committed breach of trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 12.0% interest rate each in violation of the extant financial regulations.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In addition, these new charges are different from the existing charge for which Oronsaye, Osarenkhoe Afe, and their accomplices are being prosecuted before the federal high court, Abuja on a 35-count of fraud and money laundering involving N2bn.

In this charge, Oronsaye and his co-accused are alleged to have been complicit in several contract awards during his tenure as HoS, using two companies – Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited and Xangee Technologies Limited – for shady biometrics enrollment deals to the tune of N2bn.

In one of the counts in the amended charge dated November 2, 2015, Oronsaye is alleged to have, in connivance with Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina (now at large), Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited in July 2010 “disguised genuine nature of the sum of N161,472,000 derived from an illegal act to wit, conducting procurement fraud by means of fraudulent and corrupt act on the contract extension of biometric enrolment purportedly awarded to Innovative Solutions Limited by the office of the head of service of the federation, without following due process, an offence punishable under section 14 (1) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.”

Cluster Logistic Limited and Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited were also alleged to have connived with Maina (alias Abdullahi A. Faizal now at large) in February 2014 to “transfer the sum of N33,800,000 to West Waves Bureau De Change from the account of Cluster Logistic Limited maintained by Maina”.

The case before the federal high court has no bearing on the new information filed at the FCT high court.