Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); has charged a top Borno state government official and three two others at the state’s High Court for alleged misappropriation of N517.2 million. According to the charge sheet, made available to The Guardian Monday in Maiduguri, the Chief Accounting Officer, Borno State Roads Maintenance Agency (BORMA) allegedly inflated prices of products with forged receipts of different companies. Out of the 17 charges, the top official also allegedly accumulated N24.49 million purported invoices of Attaye Global & Sons Limited on April 2 and 3, 2011, March 30, 2011, June 22, 2011 and December 28, 2011 to procure diesel for the agency. The fourth charge read in part: “The preference you (government official) knew to be false and there by committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of advance fee fraud and other related offences Act 2006 punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act. Spokesman of EFCC regional office, Jamilu Sale however; apologized to journalists yesterday (Monday) that the sitting of the High Court could not hold, because the presiding judge was absent. “We are sorry gentlemen of the press. I’ll communicate you, when the Judge returns for the sitting next week,” said Sale.
