By Festus Joseph
The trial of five staffers of the ministry of health, implicated in the fraudulent diversion of about $4 million of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria in the country, began on Tuesday before Justice O.O. Goodluck of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Maitama.
The defendants: Abimbola Abioye, Wuraola Adebayo, Zubairu Ibrahim, Faturiti Jacob and Azeez Aderemi, are facing a six-count charge that borders on criminal conspiracy, forgery and embezzlement of the grant granted by the Geneva-based agency.
Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the Spokesperson for the anti graft agency in a statement said the commission recalled that the Global Fund had in March 2016 suspended payments to Nigeria’s AIDS agency, over the diversion of about $3.8 million allegedly stolen by workers and consultants.
The grant was also to ensure the establishment of a National Health Information System, a service that could have aided delivery of quality health care services in the country.
The Global Fund, Uwujaren, added had petitioned the EFCC alleging that, “during a recent routine check by the Office of the Inspector General, Global Fund, it was discovered that from 2010 to 2014, the suspects who are employees of the ministry embezzle the sum amount through the use of fictitious invoices, receipts of hotel stays, air flight and tickets.
They all however pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Prosecuting counsel, J.A. Bwala, thereafter, urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of their trial.
Counsel to the first, fourth and fifth defendants, O. Odumosun, made an oral application for their bail, and adopted his seven-paragraph affidavit to back his application. Counsel to the second and third defendants aligned themselves to his submission.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Abimbola Abioye Alamu, Mrs Adebayo Wuraola Adejoke, Dr. Azeez Aderemi Najim, Zubairu Kindi Ibrahim, Faturoti Oladiti Jacob, staffers of the ministry sometime between 2010 and 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, did conspire amongst ourselves to do an illegal act to wit: convert to yourselves the aggregate sum of N28,802,483.80, property of ‘The Global Fund’ for the purpose of the implementation of its health improvement program in Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 532 laws of the country.
The Court thereafter admitted them to bail in the sum of N1million each and one surety each in like sum, who must be level 12 above and must be resident in Abuja. They were further ordered to submit their international passports to the Court.
The case has been adjourned to October 11, 17, 23 and 24, 2018, for commencement of trial.