The Independent Commission on Corruption and Other Related Crimes (ICPC) has reportedly arrested a civil servant who signed an unfinished contract with the Border Community Development Agency (BCDA), Suleiman Austin Adavize.
A statement released by the Commission on Tuesday, November 5, said Adavize was arrested Monday before Honcho Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory’s High Court on a three-count charge bordering on a false statement.
1 of the count is read;
“You, Suleiman Austin Adavidze (m), made a false statement on the progress report for 2022-5, or in the Federal Metropolitan Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, sometime in 2021-9, while he was the architect of the Border Area Development Agency. The contract for the construction of the ICT center in the Gumel Local government area awarded to Gare Investment Nigeria Limited was 100% completed when they knew it was false because they did not visit the ICT center, and the public ”information” was obtained.
Adavize pleaded not guilty to him and his lawyers, AG, Osayande, when the defendant applied to be granted bail on the condition of the highest priority convenience of the court.
Eno Ighodaro-Yahaya, ICPC’s lawyer, did not object to the defendant’s bail application.
In his ruling, Judge Kekemeke said there was no reason to deny the defendant’s freedom, as there was no objection to the bail application by the prosecutor.
“The bail application is not opposed; there is no reason for the defendant to be denied bail because the alleged offence is bailable. He will be bailed here for a total of 200 million naira (N2,000, 000.00) and will be given 1 guarantor in a similar total. The guarantor is 1: The pastor of the church where the defendant worships, or the president of the estate where the defendant lives, or the senior officer of the defendant’s workplace.
Judge Kekemeke then adjourned the case for a hearing until 2024/2/22.
ICPC received a petition in 2022/7 that the ICT center, built by the Border Community Development Agency in the Gumel Local Government area of Jigawa Province, would hand over a building structure with only 5 computers and had 3 halls to fully accommodate the computer set, so no accessories were needed.
It may be recalled that one of the findings of the ICPC’s Constituency and Executive Tracking Initiative is that some projects that were certified as completed when the Commission went to track them were found not to be one.
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