The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday filed
charges at an Ikeja High Court against another serving senator, Albert
Bassey, for allegedly receiving 12 cars worth N254 million as bribe.
Bassey, 45, who is representing Akwa-Ibom North-East, received the
vehicles between 2010 and 2014 from Olajide Omokore, a businessman, when
he (Bassey) served as the Akwa-Ibom Commissioner for Finance.
The EFCC has slammed a 14-count charge bordering on corruption on the duo.
Bassey is to face a seven-count charge bordering on corruption as a
public officer and for inviting bribes as a result of his own action.
On his part, Omokore is also facing a seven-count charge bordering on
offering gratification to a public officer and giving bribe on account
of the action of a public officer.
The duo as well as their counsel were, however, absent in court on
Monday when the case was announced for mention at 4.05 pm, according to
NAN.
Mrs Zainab Ettu, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, requested a
new court date to enable the anti-graft commission arraign the Senator
and the businessman.
“We do not have the defendants in court today, though we had earlier
anticipated that we would have them in court at a later date.
“We will be asking for a further date, most preferably, after vacation,” she said.
Responding, the vacation judge, Justice Obafemi Adamson noted that
the case had not been assigned to a judge, making it difficult to
adjourn the case after vacation.
The judge ordered that the case file should be sent to the Registry
of the High Court for assignment to a judge, who will hear it.
According to the charge sheet, Bassey received the vehicles from Omokore over a five-year period (2010-2014) in Lagos.
Bassey received the bribes while serving as the Akwa-Ibom
Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Akwa-Ibom State
Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee (IMDLCC).
On May 10, 2010, Bassey also allegedly corruptly received a BMW X5 BP
worth N50 million from Omokore in December 2012 and another Infinity QX
56 BP worth N45 million from him.
On November 2013, the serving senator received a Toyota Landcruiser
V8 BP valued at N40 million and in March 2014, he received a Range
Rover, also valued at N40 million from the businessman as well as in
September 2014, another Toyota Hiace High Roof car valued at N27
million.
Others are Toyota Hiace High Roof car valued at N16 million and six units of Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N36 million.
The anti-graft commission claimed that the car gifts were given to
Bassey by Omokore in exchange for contracts from the Akwa-Ibom
Government.
The offences, according to the EFCC, contravene Sections 63 (1)(a),
64 (1)(a) and 98(1), (a), (i) of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011.
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