The EFCC
yesterday secured the conviction of two former officials of the Office of the
Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, Mohammed Dogonyaro Audu (also
known
as Abdullahi Dogonyaro Mohammed) and Yahaya Ayodeji. Justice Yusuf Halilu of
the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Jabi, Abuja found them guilty
of a 10-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and complicity in award
of contract to the tune of N1billion (One billion naira).
Trouble
started for the duo after they allegedly abused their offices by floating
companies through which they cornered contracts emanating from the Economic
Reforms and Governance Project, ERGP, and Government Integrated Financial
Management Information System, GIFMIS, domiciled in the Office of the
Accountant General of the Federation.
Audu and
Ayodeji had pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were arraigned on May
26, 2015, thereby setting the stage for their trial.
In the
course of the trial, counsel to the EFCC, Cosmas Ugwu, presented three
witnesses and tendered relevant documents which were all admitted in evidence.
Delivering
his judgment, Justice Halilu said the prosecution had proved its case beyond
reasonable doubt adding that, as public servants, the convicts abused their
offices.
“I am not
expected to remove or add anything before me. They (Audu and Ayodeji) took
advantage of their offices and did what they did. For me, I do what my
conscience and the law directs me to do”, the judge ruled.
He
thereafter found Audu guilty on counts 1 to 10 and sentenced him to seven years
on each count without an option of fine. Ayodeji was found guilty on counts 1,
3, 4, 5 and 9 and also sentenced to seven years on each count.
The
sentences are to run concurrently.
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