A Federal High Court in Gombe State has given tough bail conditions to four directors of the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service who allegedly conspired and obtained by false pretence, the sum of N47 million, against the money laundering law.The suspects are Aishatu Yakubu, Executive Director, Admin and Finance; The Mohammed Musa Mohammed, Executive Director, Tax Operation; Wesley Kumusa Audu, Executive Director, Tax and Audit, and Mijinyawa Sani Labaran, Executive Director, Non Tax Operations.
Responding to a request by their counsel for bail, the trial Judge, Justice Nehizena I. Afolabi said that the bail is granted in the sum of N15 Million each with two sureties in like sum, even as he 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.
The judge said 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.
In a statement today, December 16, the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren said that it is the Gombe zonal office of the Commission that arraigned the four directors.
The defendants were alleged to have 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.
“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 applied to the court for a date to commence the trial.
The defence counsel, Habu Abdu sought the leave of the Court to move the bail application of his clients, which was granted by the Judge.
