On Monday, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, postponed making a decision till Thursday over the bail request submitted by Chris Ngige, a former Minister of Labor and Employment who is on trial for alleged ₦2.2 billion contract fraud.
After hearing arguments from the defense, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the EFCC, Trial Justice Maryam Hassan postponed making a decision.
According to reports, Ngige, who was a minister from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, was charged with eight counts of contract fraud and abuse of authority while supervising activities related to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, or NSITF. Ngige was arraigned last Friday.
The judge remanded him to the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja till his bail application was decided after he entered a not guilty plea to the charge.
He is accused of accepting payments from companies that received NSITF contracts and using his position to influence contract awards in order to provide associates unfair advantages.
According to a number of clauses in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, the offenses are criminal.
The EFCC, via its legal team headed by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, opposed the bail plea and asked the court to reject it.
The prosecution claimed that Ngige had violated an earlier administrative bail that the Commission had granted him by neglecting to surrender his international passport following a trip overseas in October for medical care.
The EFCC also brought up the seriousness of the case, pointing out that a conviction carries a minimum term of five years in jail.
In response, defense attorney Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, begged the judge to allow his client bail while the case was being heard and decided.
He bemoaned the fact that Ngige had already been detained by the EFCC for three days prior to being taken to court for arraignment.
“Our Constitution guarantees him the right to know whether or not he will be granted bail. The defendant is not an unknown individual in our nation.
Nobody in this country, in my opinion, would claim not to know the defendant. He was identified as a minister of this nation even in the accusation, according to Ikwueto.
“I implore your lordship to grant the defendant bail, and we are prepared to fulfill any condition your lordship may set for his bail,” he continued.
Additionally, the defense attorney informed the court that the former minister’s health was poor, claiming that the detention facility lacked the medical resources to treat his illness.
Ikwueto further argued that the accusations against his client were bailable because they did not constitute capital offenses.
It’s not as though they are accusing him of stealing NSITF or ministry funds. We’ll see how those contracts were awarded when the trial begins. “It is neither a charge of terrorism nor a treasonous offense,” he said.
Specifics of the Purported Agreements
The EFCC claimed that Ngige violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 by using his position to give Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a business connected to his associate, an unfair advantage by approving seven NSITF consultancy, training, and supply contracts worth ₦366,470,920.68.
The Commission further claimed that Ngige gave Zitacom Nigeria Limited eight NSITF contracts totaling ₦583,682,686 between September 2015 and May 2023, with Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, the company’s managing director and chief executive officer, being referred to as his colleague.
Eight further NSITF contracts worth ₦362,043,163.16 were purportedly given to Jeff & Xris Limited, a company connected to Nwosu Chukwunwike, another partner.
In count four, Ngige was charged with influencing four contracts totaling ₦668,138,141 that belonged to an acquaintance named Uzoma Igbonwa and were in favor of Olde English Consolidated Limited. Additionally, he was accused of approving four more contracts for the same colleague through Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited, totaling ₦161,604,625.
Claims of Kickbacks
The former minister allegedly “corruptly” accepted financial presents from NSITF contractors between May and June of 2022, according to the EFCC.
According to the report, he received ₦26,130,000 from Jeff & Xris Limited, ₦55,003,000 from Zitacom Nigeria Limited through his scholarship program, and ₦38,650,000 from Cezimo Nigeria Limited through his campaign organization.
Sections 17(a) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related acts Act, 2000 are allegedly violated by the claimed acts.
In order to decide on the bail request, the judge postponed the case to Thursday.
