Fidelia Omoile |
A serving senior official of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, Mrs. Fidelia Omoile, has been remanded in prison for
allegedly receiving N112.4m as a bribe during the build-up to the 2015
presidential election.
The money Omoile allegedly collected was said to be part of
the $115m (N23bn as of 2015), allegedly disbursed by the then Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Omoile, who works at
INEC office in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State, was
arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday.
Justice Efreti Abang of a Federal High Court sitting in
Asaba, Delta State, ordered Omoile to be
remanded in prison after she was arraigned on two charges.
The INEC official was arrested on April 11, 2016 following
an intelligence report received by the EFCC on the activities of some INEC
officials, who allegedly connived with some Non-Governmental Organisations
to defraud the Federal Government of
millions of naira.
The first charge read, “That you Fidelia Omoile on or about
the month of March, 2015 at Asaba within the jurisdiction of this honourable
court did conspire among yourselves to receive cash payment in the sum of
N112,480,000 exceeding the statutory limit without going through a financial
institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the
Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2012 as amended and punishable under Section
15 (3) and (4) of the same Act.”
The second count read in part, “That you received cash
payment in the sum of N112,480,000 exceeding the statutory limit without going
through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to
Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering (
Prohibition) Act 2012 as amended and punishable under Section 16 (b) and (4) of
the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges read to her.
In view of her plea, the prosecution counsel, Sadiq
Hussaini, asked for a trial date and asked that the defendant be remanded in
prison.
However, counsel for the defendant, K. O Obamogie, made an
oral application for bail of his client and urged the court to grant his
prayers. Hussaini opposed his prayers.
In his ruling, Justice Abang turned down the defendant’s
application for bail, directing that the application be filed formally. He also
adjourned the matter till June 6, 2017 for hearing and ordered the defendant be
remanded in custody pending the
determination of her bail.
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