Alleged N190m fraud: Court discharge and acquits Former Head of Service Oronsaye

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, discharged and acquitted former Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation, Mr Stephen Oronsaye of the N190 million fraud charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court held in the judgment that, the prosecution failed to provide enough evidence to warrant Oronsaye’s conviction.

The former Head of Service of the Federation was arraigned alongside the Managing Director of Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Osarenkhoe Afe on a 49-count charge.

The EFCC alleged that Orosanye and other defendants in the charge had, between 2010 and 2011, used the firms to divert public funds through procurement fraud.

The EFCC equally accused Orosanye and the others of using inflated biometrics enrolment contracts, collective allowances and other schemes to siphon money from accounts containing pensioners’ funds.

The commission also tendered a report of the Auditor-General of the Federation on the Federal Government’s pension accounts which indicted Oronsaye and others of wrongdoing.

The court held that the 4th and 5th defendants who are cooperate entities had already been wound up by orders of a court of competent jurisdiction and as such has no life before the court.

The prosecution’s 1st, 2nd and 4th witnesses who were compliance officers with different banks, in their evidence in chief stated that there was no payment made to Mr Oronsave or on his behalf.