Trial Of Ex-Minister Chris Ngige For Alleged N2.26billion Fraud Continues As Witness Appears In Court
Trial Of Ex-Minister Chris Ngige For Alleged N2.26billion Fraud Continues As Witness Appears In Court
Iheamelam, the third prosecution witness (PW3), is a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Aprosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has told an Abuja court that he received presidential directives to implement decisions arising from an investigative panel set up to probe activities of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during Ngige’s tenure.Nigerian news analysis
The witness, Onwusoro Maduka Iheamelam, disclosed this on Thursday while testifying before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja in the trial of the former minister over alleged abuse of office and fraudulent contract awards worth N2.26billion.
Iheamelam, the third prosecution witness (PW3), is a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
He made the disclosure during cross-examination by Ngige’s defence counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto (SAN).
The witness told the court that he was a member of a presidential investigative panel established to examine the activities of the NSITF under Ngige’s supervision.
He said he received a presidential directive to implement the President’s decisions based on the panel’s findings, including decisions relating to the procurement functions and other activities of the NSITF.
The testimony forms part of the EFCC’s case against Ngige over alleged irregularities in the award of contracts during his tenure as Minister of Labour and Employment.
The proceedings also witnessed a disagreement between the prosecution and defence over access to the witness’s statements.
During the session, Ikwueto requested that the prosecution produce the original copies of the witness’s statements for examination.
However, the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), opposed the request, arguing that the defence should formally apply for Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the documents if it wished to obtain them.
Ngige is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and fraudulent contract awards involving N2,261,722,535.84 in NSITF contracts.
The EFCC alleged that the offences were committed during his tenure as minister, when he supervised the activities of the agency.
The former minister has not been convicted of the allegations.
Following Thursday’s proceedings, Justice M.A. Hassan adjourned the case until February 9, 10 and 11, 2027, for continuation of trial.
