An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been convicted by a Federal HighCourt in Lagos for accepting over N70 million bribe from former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke to rig the 2015 general election.
The trial judge, Mohammed Idris convicted Yisa Adedoyin for receiving N70,050,000 after he pleaded guilty to an amended charge.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Adedoyin alongside Christian Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir.
The anti-graft agency said they collected a total of N264.88 million bribe on March 27, 2015 from the former minister ahead of the election, The Nation reports.
Nwosu, who had pleaded guilty to the charge of receiving N30 million bribe after he reached a plea bargain with the EFCC to return N500,000.00 and forfeiture of properties acquired with the money.
But, Justice Idris rejected the plea bargain agreement with the EFCC and ordered him to pay a fine of N10 million or change his plea.
Nwosu agreed to change his plea to not guilty. While Adedoyin who had pleaded not guilty changed his plea to guilty and was ordered to pay N10 million fine and a forfeiture of a parcel of land at Ilorin, Kwara State.
“That a fine of N10 million is proposed to this honourable court to be imposed on him upon his conviction on count four of the amended charge.
“That in paying the fine of N10million, the defendant shall raise a draft of N5million in addition to the sum of N5million already recovered from him,” the agreement reads in part.
“The total sum received was $115,010,000. It was kept in the custody of a bank, which received instructions to convert the sums to naira and distribute to the 36 states and the FCT.
“Our investigation established that the second defendant (Adedoyin) in conjunction with the first defendant (Nwosu) signed a receipt for N264,880,” Oyedepo said.
He tendered the receipt and Bashir’s statement in evidence.
“We discovered that though he signed for a total of N264,880, we found as a fact that he received N70,050,000 from the third defendant.
“Out of the N70 million, he only benefited N28million, which has been forfeited. The property he acquired with it has been recovered. We have the deed of assignment and plan,” Oyedepo said.
He urged the court to convict the defendant in line with the terms of the plea bargain agreement.
Ruling, Justice Idris held: “Judgment be and is hereby entered against the second defendant in terms of the agreement. This is the judgment of the court.”
The total bribe allegedly paid by the former minister to INEC officials and other influential persons was put at approximately N23 billion.
