The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has declined to terminate further hearing on the N5billion fraud charge, which the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, filed against a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof. Adedibu Ojerinde.
The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, said it was convinced that the defendant has a case to answer.
Consequently, it dismissed a no-case-submission the erstwhile JAMB Registrar filed to quash an 18-count charge the anti-graft agency preferred against him.
The defendant had after the prosecution closed its case, prayed the court to discharge him.
He contended that the totality of the evidence the ICPC adduced before the court did not establish a prima-facie case that could warrant the court to compel him to open his defence to the charge.
According to him, there was nothing before the court to nail him to the commission of the crime he was accused of.
However, in his ruling on Tuesday, trial Justice Egwuatu noted that seven counts in the charge against the defendant bordered on advanced fee fraud, while others pertained to corrupt practices.
He held that testimonies of the witnesses created the need for the defendant to give explanations before the court relating to the allegations against him.
Therefore, having dismissed the no-case-submission, the court ordered the former JAMB boss to open his defence to the charge on July 16.
ICPC in the charge before the court, alleged that the former JAMB Registrar committed multiple frauds between 2003 and 2021, while he held sway at the examination body.
It alleged that the defendant had while serving as the Registrar of the National Examination Council, NECO, used his position to gratify himself, by "corruptly converting the sum of N27m, property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to personal use, to acquire a property known as Tejumola House,Ikeja, Lagos in the name of Doyin Ogbohi Industries Ltd, a company in which you have a private interest."
He was accused of diverting N3, 811,876,230.10, around February 16, 2009, into a Zenith Bank accounts number: 1002833087 and 1011265699 "in the name of JAMB-J. O. Olabisi."
The prosecution told the court that the defendant diverted public funds to acquire landed property from a property firm, EFAB Estate, Abuja, though a proxy - P.I. Oye and Associates, "in order to conceal your beneficial interest in the said property."
Ojerinde, who was arraigned on July 6, 2021, pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as he was released on bail to the tune of N200million.
He had initially prayed the court to suspend his trial to enable him to strike a plea bargain deal with the ICPC.
However, after the planned bargain crumbled, the court resumed proceedings in the case.
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