Professor arraigned for ‘offering $40,000 bribe’ to compromise ICPC probe

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one John Kester Ifeanyichukwu, a professor, for alleged bribery. 

According to a statement by Azuka Ogugwa, ICPC spokesperson, Ifeanyichukwu was arraigned before A.O. Otaluka, a judge of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, on a one-count charge.

The anti-graft agency is accusing the professor of allegedly “issuing a cheque valued at $40,000 to a staff of the commission”.

“The cheque was part of the $50,000 and a house in Abuja, promised to the officer to compromise the investigation by retrieving the accused person’s devices, MacBook S/N CIML8BUGDTY3, MacBook S/N W80204J7ATN and iPhone pro11 which were in the custody of ICPC for investigative activities,” the statement reads.

“John Kester Ifeanyichukwu had earlier been reported to the commission by the presidency for alleged acts bordering on corruption, extortion and money laundering.

“ICPC, in a Charge No: CR/025/2022, informed the court of how the defendant induced one of its operatives to smuggle out a particular iPhone and a laptop and to replace them with a dummy that was to be provided by his personal assistant.”

The commission said the action of the accused contravenes section 18 (b) and is punishable under section 18 (d) of the ICPC Act, 2000.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and sought bail.

Ruling on the application, the judge admitted Ifeanyichukwu to bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

The sureties must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and one of them must have a landed property in Abuja.

The judge ordered that the international passport of the accused and other valid travel documents must be submitted to the court before the next adjourned date.

The matter was adjourned to June 21, 2022, for further hearing.