ABUJA-The former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye has been docked before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged complicity in money laundering and contract scam amount in to about N1.9billion.
Oronsaye is currently entering his plea to a 24-count criminal charge that was preferred against him by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He was docked alongside his alleged accomplice, Mr. Osarenkhoe Afe and a company that was allegedly used to perpetuate the fraud, Frederick Hamilton and Global Services Limited.
The anti-graft agency said that it is still tracking the former Deputy Director of Finance in the office of the Head of Service, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina,(now at large), who it said was also involved in fraud.
Oronsaya was alleged to have used some companies and diverted huge sums of money from the federal government coffers under the guise of using same to pay for biometric data capture project.
He was said to have claimed that some of the funds were meant for the procurement of computer accessories.
The fraud was allegedly committed between March and May 2010 while the first accused person was still in charge as the head of service of the federation.
The EFCC in the charge marked FHC/CR/297/15, maintained that accused persons committed offences contrary and punishable under section 14 (1)(b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004.
More details soon.
vanguard