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| Acting |EFCC Chairman, Magu |
Chief Medical Director, four others remanded in prison for
alleged fraud
Evelyn Okakwu
The Federal High Court, in Cross Rivers State on Tuesday
remanded the Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching
Hospital and four others in prison for alleged fraud and abuse of office.
The CMD, Thomas Agan, and the other accused, Offor Jonan; Head
of Works and Engineering and Francis Utu who is the Administrative Officer and
head of Legal Services at the hospital, as well as two other contractors; Okocha
Anthony and Emmanuel Nkim are alleged to have conspired and rigged the bidding
process for a contract, in contravention of the procurement act 2007.
According to a statement signed the EFCC’s head of media and
publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, Messrs Agan, Jonan and Utu were alleged to have used
their positions to illegally influence the award of contract for the purchase
of hospital facilities to Messrs Anthony and Nkim, through companies belonging
to the contractors.
The companies, Anchor Industrial and Construction Services
Nigeria Limited as well as Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited were allegedly used
to perpetrate the fraud, resulting in the diversion of over N85 million.
Count one of the charge reads, “That you Prof. Thomas U.
Agan as Chief Medical Director,
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Offor Jonah Offor as Head of Works and
Engineering, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Francis I. Utu as Chief
Administrative Officer and Head of Legal Services, University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital, Okocha Anthony being the alter ego of Anchor Industrial and
Construction Services Nigeria Limited and Emmanuel Etta Nkim being the Alter
Ego of Basemark Energy Nigeria Limited sometime in the month of October
2015 in Calabar, Cross Rivers State
within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire amongst
yourselves to bid rig for the purchase of one Advance Life Support Ambulance
vehicle and one Toyota Coaster Bus 30 seater to Messrs Basemark Energy Nigeria
Limited and Anchor Industrial and Construction Services Nigeria Limited
contrary to Section 58(4) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 and thereby
committed an offence punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act”.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. After the
pleas were taken the defence counsel,
Mba Ukwenyi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, made an oral application for
the bail of his client which was refused by the court.
The presiding judge; I.E Ekwo adjourned the case till May, 8
to 12, 2017.
