The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a former Assistant Director, Pension Department, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria, Phina Chidi, before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court for allegedly laundering N1.6bn pension funds.
Two other accused persons, Franklin Nwankwo and Pam Investment Properties, were arraigned alongside Chidi, on 15 counts of obtaining by false pretences and money laundering.
They were said to have used their position in the Pension Department to obtain N1.6bn by false pretences and launder an additional $2m (equivalent of N332m).
Chidi had earlier been arraigned alongside Shuaibu Teidi, a former Director, Pension Accounts, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria, before Justice Adamu Bello.
Her re-arraignment followed the ruling of the court to split the charge in order to have each accused person stand separate trials for their alleged involvement in the pension scam.
The charges read in part, “That you, Phina Chidi (while serving as Assistant Director, Pension Department of Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria), at various times between January 2009 and December 2010, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, obtained for yourself by false pretences and with intent to defraud, through fictitious contracts payments to Cenco Enterprises, various sums of money amounting in aggregate to N74,350,000.00 from the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Pension Account held by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under Section 1(30) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,2006”. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In view of their plea, the counsel for the EFCC, Godwin Obla, asked the court for a date to commence trial.
However, the counsel for the first accused person, Godwin Uche, urged the court to admit his client to bail, adding that he had earlier been granted bail in May, 2011, by Justice Bello.
Justice Kolawole granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N10m each, with sureties who must be resident in Abuja.
The case was adjourned till February 4 and 5, 2015 for trial.
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