Alleged N54.3m Fraud: EFCC Re-arraigns NEMA Director On Amended Charge
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday in an FCT High Court in Maitama, re-arraigned a deputy director with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Emenike Umesi, for alleged misappropriation of N54.3 million.
The counsel for the defendant, Mr Jeph Njikoye, SAN, did not object.
Justice Jude Okeke, then, granted EFCC leave to amend the four-count charge by adding an additional six charges.
The amended charge was, therefore, read to the defendant, who pleaded not guilty.
The six new charges added to the original four charges border on deceit as the NEMA director was alleged to have produced false documents in his bid to retire the various sums of money he collected for the agency’s operation.
Following his not guilty plea, his counsel, Njikoye urged to court to allow the defendant to continue to enjoy the bail granted him on Feb. 14.
With no objection to this by the prosecution counsel, Okeke ordered that the defendant continue to enjoy the earlier bail with the same conditions.
Okeke, then, adjourned the case until Oct. 29 for trial.
Umesi was first arraigned on Feb. 14, on four counts of bordering on misappropriation of public fund to the tune of N54.3million.
