2nd September, 2011
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded four employees of the Lagos State Government in prison custody for allegedly defrauding the government of more than N106 million.
Magistrate Olufemi Isaacs ordered them remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons after dismissing their bail application.
The accused are Bashorun Kamar, 39, Momoh Adewale, 34, Attahir Olaosebikan, 43 and Salami Rasaq, 45.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) opposed their bail applications filed by their lawyer, Mr. Kehinde Ogundare, at their arraignment on August 25.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Femi Adamson, urged the court to deny them bail pending their re-arraignment at the high court, saying the accused had conspired to commit a serious offence.
NAN reports that the accused persons were arraigned at the magistrates’ court on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony to wit, forgery and stealing.
The counsel told the court that the accused, with others at large, perpetrated the fraud between May 2010 and December 2010 at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa.
He said that the accused forged the Lagos State Government Staff Salary Scale which they used in stealing a total sum of N106,291,000 from the coffers of the government.
The four civil servants were also alleged to have falsified Lagos State Accounts documents and knowingly permitted false entries to be made in the account records.
According to the counsel, the offence contravenes Sections 390, 438, 467,477 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C.17, Vol.2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The matter has been adjourned to October 3 pending further advice from the DPP.