ICPC appeals, wants APC Reps candidate convicted for alleged bribery

Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed an appeal against candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State in the 2023 general elections, Abazu Chika Benson, at the Court of Appeal, requesting to overrule the no case submission judgment entered in his favour by a High Court.

In the Appeal, numbered 786/2019, of which all records have been transmitted to the appellate court, the anti-graft agency maintained that its three grounds of appeal were enough to upturn the High Court ruling and get Benson convicted.

In a copy of the six-count charge filed at the High Court, ICPC had alleged in count one that Benson, on April, 14 2014, while being a public officer, asked for and received N10 million from a contractor as gratification, thereby, committing an offence contrary to Section 10(a)(i) of the ICPC Act, punishable with imprisonment of seven years. 

The contractor had testified that the defendant told him that the alleged N10 million bribe was for the “First Lady.”

The proof of evidence attached by the ICPC further showed that while still a public servant and against the code of conduct for public officers, “Abazu registered a company, Transtell Nigeria Limited, through which he collected the bribes and was the sole signatory to account of the company.”

In counts three and six, the anti-corruption agency also claimed that Benson demanded and received N4 million naira and N3 million from same contractor. 
It said the defendant even “collected the last N3 million in his private account with the United Bank for Africa (UBA)).”

EFCC equally alleged that when the said contractor could not “complete the N23 million bribe demanded of him, Abazu, who then was a Special Assistant to the Director General, used his office to arbitrarily terminate the contract.” 

No date has been fixed for hearing of the appeal.