Alleged N140m fraud: SUBEB chairman arraigned

A former Executive Chairman of the Benue State Primary Education Board, Dr Augustine Dzever, has been taken to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission over alleged illegal transfer of funds belonging to the board to another account.

A statement by the spokesperson for the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa, stated that Dzever was arraigned before Justice S. A. Itodo of the Benue State High Court in Makurdi on nine counts.

The statement said, “The ICPC’s counsel, Bako Along, informed the court that Dzever had in 2005, while being the Executive Chairman of the board, allegedly transferred the sum of N140,878,378 from the personnel account to the overhead account of the board, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

“The court also heard that the accused had in 2005 allegedly transferred the sum of N24,477,918.98 from the personnel account to the overhead account of the board, thereby contravening Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

The ICPC said other allegations levelled against Dzever included the transfer of N2,477,918 and N20m on different occasions from the personnel account of the board to the overhead account.

“The accused pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. His lawyer, S. A. Orkumah, in his bail application, urged the court to grant his client bail on self-recognition.

“Even though the prosecution counsel did not oppose the application, he urged the court to impose stringent conditions considering the seriousness of the matter.

“In his ruling, the judge granted the accused bail on self-recognition and in the sum of N1m and adjourned the matter till June 24 and 28, 2019 for trial,” the statement added. Punch