Makurdi (Nigeria): The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned former Chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), Dr Tersoo Loko, and 10 others for alleged N1.1 billion fraud.
The Makurdi Zonal Directorate of the EFCC told the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi that the accused were arraigned on 30 counts of criminal misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.
The prosecution counsel, M.S. Yusuf, listed the other accused as Kuleve Terlumun, Mtomga Manasseh, Ugbede Denen, Tatyough Thaddeus, Angwa Dominic, Uwua Igbawua, Adese Asom Orkuma Emmanuel, Owoicho Odeh, and Mhir Iyenge.
Yusuf said the complainant alleged the former BSIEC boss misappropriated and diverted funds. The funds were meant for the 2020 and 2022 local government polls and totaled N1.6 billion.
The prosecution counsel averred that the petitioner further alleged that he utilised only N565 million for both polls out of the N1.6 billion.
He said N1.1 billion was unaccounted for by the former Benue electoral chairman.
Yusuf added that the chairman, sometimes in 2020, directly received a cash payment of N118 million from the commission, which was recorded as a receipt/payee and diverted for personal use.
The prosecution counsel further said that, again in 2022, the accused received a cash payment of N110.9 million from the commission, which was recorded as a recipient/payee and diverted for personal use.
He said the acts contravened Section 5(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended in 2012, and were punishable under Section 15(3) of the same act.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges when the case came up for mention. They asked the court for a date to enable the prosecution to prove its case.
In his ruling, Justice M.S. Abubakar granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N50 million each with one surety in like sum.
Abubakar said the sureties must have valid international passports, and each defendant shall deposit his or her passport with the court registrar.
He also remanded the defendants until they perfect their bail and adjourned the case to 24th April for hearing.