The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned former Registrar of Benue State School of Health Technology in Agasha, Awuawe Clement for alleged admission racketeering.
The suspect was accused of collecting and diverting N4,466,500, paid by gullible candidates seeking admission into the school.
According to a statement on Thursday by the ICPC’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the Commission preferred three charges against the accused.
He was accused of making a false statement to the officers of the Commission during the investigation, which is an offence under Section 25(1)(a) and punishable under Section 25(ii)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The suspect, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
Count One against the defendant reads: “That you, CLEMENT, between 2018 and 2019, at Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a Public Officer as the Registrar of the School of Health Technology, Agasha, used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by collecting a total sum of N4,476,500. You continued to sell admission forms to unsuspecting prospective students after the closure of sales for your personal use and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
Counsel to the defendant, Mr Kelvin Iorzenda, moved an application for bail on behalf of his client.
The prosecution counsel, Mr T. S. Lorngee, did not oppose the bail application moved by the defendant’s counsel.
The presiding judge, Justice Egbe Raphael, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum of two million naira (N2,000,000) and one surety in like sum.
“The surety shall be a Public or Civil Servant, either at the Federal or State level. The surety shall deposit photocopies of the letter of first appointment and last promotion, identity card, passport photographs and shall swear to an affidavit of means and address,” the judge said.
The matter was adjourned to December 12, 2024, for hearing.
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