The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Tuesday, arraigned four suspects before Justice Abubakar Talba of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Gudu, on a 29-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy and obtaining N1. 2 billion by false pretence.
A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, said Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani Sulaiman, Hajia Fatima Mazangari and Saleh Yerima Tsojon, “are alleged to have obtained N1.2 billion from the Federal Government, with intent to defraud, purporting same to be monthly pension payable to M. S. Suleiman, Saleh Yerima Tsojon, Isah U. Adamu, Daniel Mikano, and Abdulahi Garba Musa who were falsely held out at pensioners of the Federal Government, by inserting their names in the pensioners’ payroll.”
The statement added that “the accused persons, who were offered a biometric contract by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, to regularize names of pensioners on the pensions’ payroll, allegedly smuggled in names of fake pensioners, and collected unearned pension.”
The anti-graft agency said the alleged fraud involved two companies known as Xangee Technologies Limited and Century Construction Company Limited.
It said Justice Talba “had at the sitting of June 30, 2015 rejected a plea bargain proposal mooted by Ibrahim Salau, counsel to Mazangari, before adjourning to September 15, 2015 as a result of the absence of Fatimah Mazangari, the third accused person, who according to Salau was ill.”
The Judge was quoted as saying: “Don’t mention plea bargain here. I don’t want to hear about it.”
It will be recalled that the National Judicial Council (NJC), had suspended Talba a few years ago, following a petition by the EFCC over a judgement on a similar pension case, which was described by many as “a slap on the wrist”.
One of the charges reads: “That you Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani Suleiman and Xangee Technologies Limited between 28th April, 2011 and 24th November 2011, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained an aggregate sum of N1,072,873.74 from the Federal Government.”
The trial judge admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties each in like sum, one of which must be a director in the Federal Civil Service, and the other a responsible member of the society, who must submit an affidavit of means and tax documents.
The case was subsequently adjourned to November 2 and 3, 2015 for trial.
