The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday
filed a 14-count charge at an Ikeja High Court against another serving senator,
Bassey Albert Akpan, for allegedly receiving 12 cars worth N254 million as
bribes.
Akpan, 45, who is representing Akwa-Ibom North-East, received
the vehicles between 2010 and 2014 from Olajide Omokore, a businessman and oil
mogul, when he (Bassey) served as the Akwa-Ibom Commissioner for Finance.
Akpan is to face a seven-count corruption charge as a public
officer and for inviting bribes as a result of his own action.
On his part, Omokore is also facing a seven-count charge
bordering on offering gratification to a public officer and giving bribe on
account of the action of a public officer.
However, the duo as well as their counsel were absent in court
on Monday when the case was announced for mention at 4.05 pm on Monday.
Mrs Zainab Ettu, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, requested
a new court date to enable the anti-graft commission arraign the senator and
the businessman.
“We do not have the defendants in court today, though we had
earlier anticipated that we would have them in court at a later date.
“We will be asking for a further date, most preferably, after
vacation,” she said.
Responding, the vacation judge, Justice Obafemi Adamson noted
that the case had not been assigned to a judge, making it difficult to adjourn
the case after vacation.
The judge ordered that the case file should be sent to the
Registry of the High Court for assignment to a judge, who will hear it.
According to the charge sheet, Bassey received the vehicles from
Omokore over a five-year period (2010-2014) in Lagos.
Akpan received the bribes while serving as the Akwa-Ibom
Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Akwa-Ibom State Inter-Ministerial
Direct Labour Coordinating Committee (IMDLCC).
On May 10, 2010, Bassey Akpan also allegedly corruptly received
a BMW X5 BP worth N50 million from Omokore in December 2012 and another
Infinity QX 56 BP worth N45 million from him.
On November 2013, the serving senator received a Toyota
Landcruiser V8 BP valued at N40 million and in March 2014, he received a Range
Rover, also valued at N40 million from the businessman as well as in September
2014, another Toyota Hiace High Roof car valued at N27 million.
Others are Toyota Hiace High Roof car valued at N16 million and
six units of Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N36 million.
The anti-graft commission claimed that the car gifts were given
to Bassey by Omokore in exchange for contracts from the Akwa-Ibom Government.
The
offences, according to the EFCC, contravene Sections 63 (1)(a), 64 (1)(a) and
98(1), (a), (i) of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011.
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