Then, Ogbulafor was the Minister of Special Duties and was supervising the activities of the National Economic Intelligence Committee while Ebila was the Secretary to the Committee, which was saddled with the responsibility of verification and payment of debts owed to local contractors by the Federal Government.
The Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) had first arraigned Ogbulafor, Ebilah and Jude Nwokoro on May 10, 2010 before an FCT High Court presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello.
They were charged with offences bothering on abuse of office and defrauding the Federal Government of N107 million in 2005 by using their position in the National Economic Intelligence Committee.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The ICPC had also alleged that Prince Ogbulafor collected “kick-backs’’ amounting to two million naira and N28 million from Ebilah, and one Chris Nwoke, respectively to facilitate the release of the funds.
During Ebilah’s cross examination in September 25, 2013, he told the court that the ICPC compelled him to refund N4.39 million to the Federal Government.
Ebilah told the court that his statement to the ICPC was made under duress.
“I was humiliated and dehumanised with a gun placed on my head when the ICPC took my statement. I was humiliated, downgraded and put in a room without air conditioner and was also asked by one Basil Mohmodu and Prince Hassan, to write what they want me to write for them. My passport was collected,’’ Ebilah said.
Ebilah also told the court that he had never met Mohmodu, a staff of the ICPC before April 2006.
While delivering his ruling, Justice Bello held that from the evidence before the court, Prince Ogbulafor could not be linked with the fraud. In the case Ebilah however, the judge pointed out that since his lawyers did not object to his confessional statement, the court took it as a corroboration of the allegation leveled against him by the prosecution.
The case had been delayed as a result of Ebilah's absence in court in the last few hearings. He was brought to court on a wheelchair and he wore a neck brace. Justice Bello rejected the plea tendered by A. A Nwogu, counsel to Ebilah, as regards sentencing his client in view of his health status. The judge however stated that no medical report had been brought before the court in respect of Ebilah's health and as such, his true state of health could not be ascertained.
They were charged with offences bothering on abuse of office and defrauding the Federal Government of N107 million in 2005 by using their position in the National Economic Intelligence Committee.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The ICPC had also alleged that Prince Ogbulafor collected “kick-backs’’ amounting to two million naira and N28 million from Ebilah, and one Chris Nwoke, respectively to facilitate the release of the funds.
During Ebilah’s cross examination in September 25, 2013, he told the court that the ICPC compelled him to refund N4.39 million to the Federal Government.
Ebilah told the court that his statement to the ICPC was made under duress.
“I was humiliated and dehumanised with a gun placed on my head when the ICPC took my statement. I was humiliated, downgraded and put in a room without air conditioner and was also asked by one Basil Mohmodu and Prince Hassan, to write what they want me to write for them. My passport was collected,’’ Ebilah said.
Ebilah also told the court that he had never met Mohmodu, a staff of the ICPC before April 2006.
While delivering his ruling, Justice Bello held that from the evidence before the court, Prince Ogbulafor could not be linked with the fraud. In the case Ebilah however, the judge pointed out that since his lawyers did not object to his confessional statement, the court took it as a corroboration of the allegation leveled against him by the prosecution.
The case had been delayed as a result of Ebilah's absence in court in the last few hearings. He was brought to court on a wheelchair and he wore a neck brace. Justice Bello rejected the plea tendered by A. A Nwogu, counsel to Ebilah, as regards sentencing his client in view of his health status. The judge however stated that no medical report had been brought before the court in respect of Ebilah's health and as such, his true state of health could not be ascertained.
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