ICPC arraigns civil servant for presenting fake ICAN certificate for job upgrade
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a Civil Servant on a 3-count charge bordering on false statement and forgery.
The suspect, Mr. Lebi Ayodele James, is said to hold the position of Auditor-General of the Federation (AUGF).
James, however, wanted a job upgrade. The desperation allegedly made him to forge a certificate of membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
James was arraigned before Hon. Justice Yusuf Halliru of High Court 32 of Federal Capital Territory.
The charge sheet revealed that James, being a public officer in the AUGF’s office knowingly made a “false statement” to the Director of Administration and Human Resources of the same office when he wrote an application letter requesting to be converted and upgraded from the position of an Executive Officer to that of a Senior Auditor and presented a certificate of membership of the ICAN.
In another count, James was alleged to have knowingly presented a certificate of membership of ICAN, a forged document that he intended to fraudulently use as a genuine document for his conversion and upgrading.
A third count accused James of informing the Director that he was a member of ICAN in order for him to be converted and upgraded when he knew that the information was false.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him and his counsel, Mr. C. Ojutule moved a motion for his bail pending the determination of the case.
In a swift reaction to the motion by the defence, ICPC lead counsel, Agbili E. Kingsley although not in opposition to the bail application, urged the court to impose stringent conditions on the defendant to enable him stand his trial.
Having listened to the submissions of both parties, the trial judge granted bail to the accused and ordered him to produce two officers not below the rank of director, with the ownership of title property document within FCT and evidence of their promotion to the rank of a directorship.
The matter has been adjourned to 26th March, 2018 for continuation of hearing.
