Corrupt Judge For Arrest Next Week Over N10M Bribe

                                           

 

NIGERIA: A judge heading a special court is reportedly being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N10 million bribery saga, Saturday Tribune has learnt.

 

Saturday Tribune gathered that the anti-corruption commission would quiz him next week, with an invite said to be delivered to him any moment from now.

 

His aide, who is allegedly the conduct-pipe for the receipt of the said bribe money, will also be facing interrogation, according to security sources.

 

He (aide) is also likely to be arrested before the move for the judge, considering the alleged central role he played in the said bribery saga.

 

Saturday Tribune gathered that the judge of a special court was picked by the commission’s radar when he allegedly demanded a N10 million bribe from an accused before him, to help him circumvent justice.

 

The accused, a senior hand in a system generally perceived to be corrupt but who is convinced of his innocence, reportedly approached the EFCC through his counsel to make a formal report against the said head of the special court.

 

Operatives of the commission assigned to the matter reportedly encouraged the accused to play along on the demand. He then approached the judge and told him of his readiness to pay the demanded bribe money.

 

The head of the special court then reportedly told him to drop the money in his aide’s bank account, domiciled with a strong bank (names withheld).

 

A sum of N1.8 million, reportedly supplied by security agencies and marked, was then given to the accused as the first tranche of the bribe money, which he paid into the account of the said aide as agreed, with a promise to pay the balance soon.

 

The bank details of the aide are reportedly in possession of the commission, while the bank where the account is domiciled has also been reportedly contacted to play along to see what will happen to the deposit in a few days.

 

A source told the Saturday Tribune that irrespective of whether transactions take place on the said account between this week and next week, it is certain that the EFCC will move in next week for the head of the court, considering the weight of evidence already against him and his aide.

 

It was also gathered that a special arrangement with the bank where the account is domiciled might see the exact marked notes being returned to the issuing security agencies, to further solidify the case being built against the court chief.

 

According to the source, the aide may be taken in first, in order for his statement to be used in confronting his boss.

 

Preliminary report indicts judge over cash lodgment
It was gathered that the EFCC is also ready with a preliminary report that will compel summons to be issued on a judge of the Federal High Court next week.

 

The serving judge reportedly indicted by the preliminary investigative report is also facing the National Judicial Council (NJC) probe and is likely to face dismissal.

 

In a curious twist of events during the NJC probe, the petitioners against the judge who presided over a politically-charged suit that altered the configuration of a political party, suddenly refused to come before the probe panel to testify, despite several invites by the panel.

 

A high-profile intervention was alleged to have softened the ground between the judge and the petitioners. But the judge is reportedly not completely off the reach of the council’s sack hammer because other cases against him are still on.

 

The EFCC’s preliminary investigation reportedly led to the discovery of cash lodgments in his bank accounts, running into billions of naira.

 The probe is to unravel the acquisition of wealth that is considered to be above his legitimate earnings.

 

Ironically, it was the same petitioners that took him before the NJC that reportedly wrote the petition being considered by the EFCC.

 

Saturday Tribune learnt that when he was contacted by the EFCC in the course of the preliminary investigation, he told the investigators that the billions of naira in his bank accounts were his proceeds as a mechanised farmer and not from bribe-for-judgment as alleged by his accusers.

Scores of high net-worth properties were also allegedly traced to him.

 

The probe is to unearth the said farming business, its worth and if earnings from it can explain the huge sums of money reportedly traced to his accounts.

 

Commission set to try another judge
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the EFCC may dock a dismissed judge of the Federal High Court soon.

 

Among the properties traced to the judge by EFCC include an uncompleted three-bedroom building located at City Scope, Lagos, valued at N20 million and acquired in 2006; a four-bedroom bungalow located at Karshi, Nasarawa State, acquired from the Nigerian Navy in 2009 (valued at N10 million); a plot of land at Kjah, Nasarawa State (valued at N2.5 million in 2010); a plot at Kuruduma Abuja acquired in 2012 at N2.8 million.

 

Other properties allegedly owned by the judge are six plots of land at Ogba Village, Benin, Edo State, at N480,000 in 2005; three plots of land located at Oben Village, Benin (valued at N2.2 million); blocks of four six-bedroom flats acquired in 1979 (valued at N16 million); one uncompleted twin five-bedroom duplex, via a Lagos State government allocation at N10 million; one block of four three-bedroom flats via Edo State government allocation (valued at N10 million).

 

Others are a plot of land at Guduwa Estate acquired in 2001 via FCDA allocation at N800, 000; a plot of land located at Lugbe, Abuja, at N200,000 and a plot of land at Ugbor, Edo State, acquired via Edo State government allocation at N600,000.

 

The judge’s alleged shares being investigated include shares in a private family company (as of December 31, 2012, the estimated value of investment in the company was put at N825 million); and shares in another private family company valued at N165 million as of December 31, 2012.

 

Others are 1,030 units of shares in a new generation bank; 20,890 units of shares in an oil company. The said judge is also alleged to be a partner in a company which has shares in four other banks and a prominent construction company.