The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 11, 2019 arraigned Dandy Eze and Solomon Johnson before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit a felony and acceptance of bribe to the tune of N50 million.
They were alleged to have demanded for the said sum as bribe from a company, WAHUM Nigeria Limited, claiming that they could facilitate the withdrawal of a petition written against it, which they claimed was being investigated by the EFCC.
The sum of N1 million had already been collected by them as part payment of the bribe through an account operated by Johnson.
One of the counts reads: ” That you, Dandy Eze, being the president of Path of Peace Initiatives and Solomon Johnson, on or about the 23rd November 2018, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, solicited for the sum of N50, 000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) only as bribe, in order to facilitate the withdrawal of a petition written against Wahum Nigeria Limited from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission”.
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In view of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, George Chia-Yakua, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that they be remanded in prison custody.
However, counsel for the defendants, Terry Adeniji, told the court that he had just been briefed about the case.
Adeniji, therefore, asked the court for a short date to enable him file a proper bail application.
He also prayed the court to remand the defendants in the EFCC custody.
In his response, Chia-Yakua, urged the court to refuse the prayer of the defence counsel to remand the defendants in the EFCC custody.
Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the matter to February 14 and 15, 2019 for hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.
The suspects were remanded in prison custody.