A Federal High Court yesterday remanded a former Director of Police Pension Office, John Yakubu Yusufu, in prison custody for an alleged N250million fraud.
Yusufu will remain in custody till March 1, 2013 when Justice Adamu Bello will begin the hearing of the case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Yusufu for the alleged fraud and failure to disclose all his assets.
Yusufu, who was convicted on Monday for pension fraud, is also facing trial for not declaring his interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited.
Yusufu is alleged to have used the company to lodge N250million with a new generation bank.
A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the suspect is a sole signatory to the company’s account, which was being used to launder pension cash.
The charges, signed by the acting Director, Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, reads: “That you, John Yakubu Yusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited, a Nigerian company incorporated by you and solely owned by yourself and members of your immediate family and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John Yakubu Yusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in the N250million you lodged in a fixed deposit account with the Zenith Bank in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John Yakubu Yusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in the sum of N10million you lodged in a fixed deposit account with the First Bank of Nigeria in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John Yakubu Yusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in the sum of N29million which was fixed on your instruction by one Danjuma Mele in his company account in the name of Jidag Technical Services Limited with Diamond Bank and for your benefit and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
The EFCC statement said: “The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. His counsel, Rotimi Jacobs asked the court to remand the accused in prison custody and fix a date for trial.
“Counsel to the defendant, Gabriel Tsenyen, prayed the court to grant him a short adjournment to enable him file an application for bail. He also prayed the court to remand him in the EFCC custody.
“However, Justice Adamu Bello ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to March 1.
Yusufu was among six top officials of the Police Pension Office arraigned by the EFCC on March 29, 2012, on a 16-count criminal charge of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
“The other accused persons are Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila, Zira. Kigo was the director of the Police Pension Office before he was made permanent secretary. They allegedly stole over N32.8billion from the police pension office.
On Monday, Justice Mohammed Talba convicted and sentenced Yusufu to six years’ imprisonment with the option of a fine, having pleaded guilty to three counts of an amended 20-count charge.”
Yusuf paid the N750,000 fine (N250,000 for each of the three charges for which he pleaded guilty), and then walked away a free man.
Howevere, he forfeited 18 houses and N32million cash for government.
