The Global Information Team Nigeria has petitioned the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the alleged compromise, connivance and intent to subvert the arraignment of a staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Mr. Nelson Oleghe, accused of receiving the sum of N70.8 Million (Seventy Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) using two companies with the following details Del-fings Nigeria Ltd with GT Bank Plc Account No. 0023920038 and Aizmozz Ventures Ltd, with Zenith Bank Plc Account No. 010796468 with the Securities and Exchange Commission as the paying institution which contravenes the laws of the Commission and once got one Bashir Funtua and another lady dismissed for similar offences.
In a petition exclusively obtained by Leadingreporters, and signed by the group’s Team Leader,
Segun Amao, the group says everything is pointing to the fact that the ICPC officials in charge of the case have been compromised.
“The issues of concern here is why will a highly respected anti-corruption agency like ICPC be delaying the arraignment of Nelson Oleghe?
“Is it that some unscrupulous ICPC officials who are against the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration are at work?
“Whatever the response of the Chairman of the Commission may be, our intelligence findings has revealed that a particular ICPC head of investigation has been bribed and compromised thereby undermining the powers of the officer who has for long concluded charge sheet for arraignment of the suspect.
“There has been several reports of corrupt allegation against some ICPC officials. It is high time the chairman of the Commission exonerate the Commission from this weighty allegations by commencing the immediate trial of Nelson Oleghe in line with President Buhari’s stance against corruption which earned him a high reputation amongst the comity of nations.
“In a letter dated 18 of August 2020 signed by one Dennis Idoko, Assistant Director (legal) of the ICPC, FOI desk officer. He wrote that investigation against Nelson had been concluded and all the allegations against the suspect had been substantiated and found to be true.
“What then is stalling his arraignment? These are questions the Commission Chairman needs to provide answers to. Or is it that some individuals in the commission are untouchable as regards openly frustrating the patriotic and unbiased investigation carried out only for an ICPC officials to be deprived from charging the suspect to court in the guise of Covid-19 stagnating court sittings in the FCT.
“Hiding under Covid 19 as excuse for not prosecuting the suspect is most laughable as courts have been sitting, notwithstanding the Covid-19 Pandemic to the extent that even high profile cases are known to have been tried and dispensed within lower, high, appellate and even the apex Court.
“Or is it that Nelson Oleghe is above the law of the country? Whatever the case may be, the world is watching to see the immediate steps the ICPC Chairman intends to take.