Published By: PM NEWS Live
14th January, 2013
Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has ordered that the Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Dr. Mato Dogara, be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, pending the outcome of the investigation of the petition on corruption allegations against him.
Mato was on administrative bail before he was arraigned Monday on a joint six-count charge alongside the former Interim Caretaker Chairman of Lere Local Government Area, Kaduna and five Lere local government staff.
Mato pleaded not guilty to all the two charges of fraud and conspiracy read to him by the court clerk .
The Deputy Speaker was docked for allegedly conspiring with the former Interim Caretaker Chairman of Lere local Government area and the five other council staff to defraud the council of N17 million, which was meant for a contract for the renovation of government lodge, Saminaka, Lere local government.
Among the six-count charges read to him and others, Mato was directly involved in two that were related to a contract scam for the renovation of the government lodge Saminaka.
The first count charge read: “That you Kabiru Tahir Malali being the interim chairman , Lere Local government , Kaduna state, Dr. Mato Dogara being the Deputy Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Ahmed Yahaya being the former Director of Finance, Lere local government; Billy Graham, the Director of Works, Lere local government; Yushau Aboki, former Director of Personnel Management, Lere local government; Mrs. Hannatu Illiya, Head of Health, Lere lcal government and Eric Alhassan, former, Acting Chairman of Lere local government council, Kaduna state , within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit: Obtaining money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act ,2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.
“…. Sometime between May, 2011 and March 2012 , at Kaduna state within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud , obtained via fraudulent award of contract for renovation of government lodge , Saminaka the sum of N17 million, the property of Kaduna state government which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)((a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.”
After the Deputy Speaker and other six persons that allegedly conspired to steal the Local government funds, pleaded not guilty, the EFCC counsel Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad pleaded for time to reply the accused , which Mato’s counsel Ahmed Habib did not object.
Presiding Judge Mercellous Awukalinea adjourned the case till January 24, 28 and 29 for speedy trial.
By Femi Adi/Kaduna
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