EFCC to appeal Oronsaye’s ‘N2b fraud’ acquittal judgment

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it will appeal a judgement acquitting Stephen Oronsaye, former head of service of the federation, of the N2 billion fraud charge levelled against him.

Earlier on Monday, TheCable reported that Justice Inyang Ekwo discharged Oronsaye, holding that the EFCC failed to provide enough evidence to warrant his conviction.

In a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s spokesperson, the commission opposed the judgement and said Ekwo “erred by overlooking the evidence of the 21 witnesses called by the prosecution”.

The anti-graft agency added that Ekwo also overlooked the confessional statement of one of the defendants.

In 2015, Oronsaye was arraigned alongside Osarenkhoe Afe, managing director of Fedrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, on a 49-count charge.

However, the charges were reduced to 22.

Three companies — Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment & Construction Company Limited — were also joined in the charge preferred against Oronsaye by the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC alleged that between 2010 and 2011, the defendants had used the firms to divert public funds.

Adopting his final address at the court session on January 19, Oronsaye, through his counsel, Ade Okeanya-inneh, had asked the court to dismiss the charge against him.