The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos office, on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, arraigned one Ifeanyi Ozoene, a former employee of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on corruption by public official and offering of gratification to public official to the tune of N3m(Three Million Naira).
Count one reads: “That you, Ifeanyi Ozoene, on or about 9th September, 2012, at Lagos, within the Lagos Judicial Division, whilst serving as a staff of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, received the sum of N2, 000, 000 (Two Million Naira) for yourself from one Mr. Ifeanyi for the purpose of diverting Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), property of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).”
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, George Yakua, asked the court for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody so as to compel his appearance for his trial.
The defence counsel, Kenneth Ugwu, however, prayed the court to grant his client bail.
He also urged the court to remand the defendant in the EFCC custody due to his health status.
Consequently, Justice Taiwo adjourned the case to June 19, 2018 for ruling on the defendant’s bail application and also remanded him in the EFCC custody pending the determination of his bail application.