The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday told an Abuja High Court that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, was at large
An official of the EFCC, Mr. James Binang, made this known during the arraignment of a former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, and ex-Minister of State for Health, Mr. Gabriel Aduku, in connection with the N300m scam in the Federal Ministry of Health.
Also charged were the suspended Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Prof. Simeon Ogandi; and the Director of Administration, Dr. E.H. Oyedepo.
Others were Hanafi Mohammed; Donald Ekanem; Donatus Inyang; Olomo J.A; Obanla E. Olatunbosun; Henry Onyeagwalam; and Edem A. Bassey.
They were denied bail by Justice Salisu Garba, who ordered their remand in EFCC custody till April 11 when he will rule on their application for freedom.
The anti-graft agency brought 54-count charge bordering on abuse of office, criminal breach of trust and stealing against them.
When the alleged offences were read to Grange and others, they said they understood them but pleaded not guilty.
There were actually 56 charges in the charge sheet. The remaining two charges which were not read in the open court were in respect of Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Although the EFCC did not list her among the suspects, Binang said she was at large.
He told the court that efforts were being made by the commission to arrest her.
Obasanjo-Bello was reported to have travelled to Cuba last Tuesday with the Education Committee of the Senate, before she was due to be quizzed by the EFCC.
Our correspondents in the National Assembly, however, sighted the senator during the senate�s plenary in Abuja on Tuesday.
The charge against Obasanjo-Bello reads, �That you, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, now at large, sometimes between December 2007 and March 2008 at Abuja within the judicial division of the high court of the Federal Capital Territory while serving as the chairman of the Senate Committee dishonestly received the sum of N10m belonging to the Federal Government having reasons to believe same to be stolen thereby committed an offence punishable under section 317 of the Penal Code.�
Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) had, while arguing the application for bail for Grange, said that she was a professor of paediatrics who would not fail to appear for trial.
Izinyon argued that Grange had an impeccable record of service and should be granted bail as a matter of course.
Garba, after listening to all the arguments on bail, adjourned ruling to April 11 while substantive trial was adjourned to April 29.
A copy of the charge obtained by our correspondent showed that Grange, Aduku, and Ogandi were charged with 14 offences.
The offences included criminal breach of trust and fraudulent withdrawal of funds.
They were said to have withdrawn various sums of money under the pretext that they were payments for contracts executed by Cyrolom Nigeria Enterprises, HGR Limited, El-Bless Mechanical Works, Xcherith, Itex Furnitures, Moregates and Funke Abayomi Nigeria Enterprises as well as Donaustin Enterprises.
In addition to the above charges, Ogandi was also charged with forging several Local Purchase Orders in the name of fictitious companies.
It was also learnt on Tuesday that the EFCC had lined up 17 witnesses to give evidence against the suspects.
Among the witnesses are seven staff of the Ministry of Health and a clerk to the Senate Committee on Health, I.E.F. Edobor.
Meanwhile, the Senate has said that the scam in the Ministry of Health was not an �isolated case.�
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, told journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, that ministries, departments and agencies were in a habit of keeping unspent funds from the year�s budget to be shared every December.
He said, �When the revenue profile was reluctantly submitted, we still found out that a lot of things were left out as evident by the problem we have seen in the ministry of health.
�Ministry of Health is not an isolated case. If we dig deep, there are some areas where monies are hidden. We kept harping in the process of budget preparation that some members of the MDAs are in the habit of keeping money to be shared every December.
�If anybody matches what we said then to what has happened in the Ministry of Health, you will see that we have a point.�