EFCC arraigns Oronsaye over alleged N1.9bn fraud

THE former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, was on Monday July 13, 2015 arraigned before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in A
buja , over alleged complicity in money laundering and contract scam amounting to about N1.9billion.

Oronsaye was arraigned for a 24-count criminal charge that was preferred against him by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).


He was docked , alongside his alleged accomplice, Osarenkhoe Afe, and a company that was allegedly used to perpetuate the fraud, Frederick Hamilton and Global Services Limited.

The EFCC said that it was still tracking the former Deputy Director of Finance in the Office of the Head of Service, Abdulrasheed Maina (now at large), who it said was also involved in fraud.

Oronsaye and other accused persons, as well as a firm, pleaded not guilt to the charges.
The prosecution accused them of committing the procurement fraud in 2010 under the pretext of using the various sums of money, illegally withdrawn from the Federal Government’s account, for “biometric data capturing project.”

The offences, allegedly committed while Oronsaye was Head of Service of the Federal Government, were said to be contrary to provisions of section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and section 1(1) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other related offences Act.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission opposed a bail application made on behalf of a former Head of Service of the Federal Government, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, after his arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

Oronsaye’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), and that of the co-accused person, Oluwole Aladedoye, made an oral application, asking the court to release their clients on bail.
Agabi argued that under the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, an accused person was entitled to bail and oral application.

But, the EFCC’s prosecutor, Aliyu Yussuf, argued that oral application for bail was not permitted in view of the provisions of section 162 of the ACJA.
He said bail could only be granted judicially and judiciously and based on materials in the form of affidavit evidence placed before the court.
Yussuf asked the court to remand the accused persons to prison and sought an adjournment till Wednesday to enable him to respond to the written bail applications filed by the defence