An
FCT High Court in Jabi yesterday sentenced two former officials of the Office
of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mohammed Dogonyaro Audu and Yahya
Yusuf Ayodeji, to a combined jail term of 105 years.
The
convicts were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
on a 10-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and abuse of office in
award of contract to the tune of N1billion on May 26, 2015.
They
were convicted and sentenced to 70 years and 35 years in prison respectively.
They
allegedly abused their offices by floating companies, Q-Bridgers Worldwide
Synergy Limited and AY-Quest Worldwide Limited, through which they cornered
contracts emanating from the Economic Reforms and Governance Project (ERGP)
Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS)
domiciled in the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The
trial judge, Justice Halilu Yusuf, held that going by the statement of Ayodeji,
who confessed to the ownership of AY Quest together with Audu, it was clear
that Ayodeji was reengaged by the government after his retirement from service
in 2009.
He
said despite the fact that Audu denied any relationship with Q-Bridgers
Worldwide Synergy Limited, the prosecution was able to prove that he acquired
private interests in the company.
Justice
Yusuf declared that they took advantage of their positions in the World
Bank-assisted ERGP, GIFMIS domiciled in the office of the Accountant General of
the Federation to do what they did.
He
said the prosecution was able to prove the 10-count charge against the first
defendant, while he convicted second defendant on counts one, three, four, five
and nine. He thereafter sentenced them to seven years in prison on each of the
count with the sentencing to run concurrently.
The
judge further directed that the convicts serve their terms at the Suleja
Prisons in Niger State.
Source Daily Trust
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