A Federal High Court (FCT) in Apo has given order remanding former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye in Kuje prison, Abuja following his arraignment before the court on Wednesday, January 10.
Agunloye was arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on accepting bribes, engaging in forgery, disobedience to a presidential directive, conspiracy among others.
In the charge marked CR/617/2023 the ex-minister was said to have conspired with one Leno Adesanya – now at large, of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) in allegedly committing the said offences.
The defendant was accused of receiving a bribe totalling about N5.2million (N5,221,000.00) from Adesanya and SPTCL about the award of the contract for the construction of 3960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station in favour of SPTCL while in office in 2003.
Although he pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, but the prosecuting lawyer, Abba Mohammad of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urged the cout to remand in custody pending the commencement of trial.
But the defence lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (SAN) told the court that a bail application had already been filed for the defendant.
Given the information from Adedipe, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned till Thursday for the hearing of the bail application, but ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje prison until the determination of his bail application.
Counts in the charge read: “That you, Olu Agunloye, whilst being the Minister of Power and Steel on or about the 22nd of May 2003 in Abuja awarded a contract titled “CONSTRUCTION OF 3,960MW MAMBILLA HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION ON A BUILD, OPERATE AND TRANSFER BASIS” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited without any budgetary provision, approval and cash backing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“That you, Olu Aguntoye, whilst being the Minister of Power and Steel on or about the 22nd of May, 2003 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the directive of the President made at the Federal Executive Council meeting of the 21st May, 2003 directed at you pursuant to the President’s powers under section 5(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) when you signed a letter addressed to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited conveying the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilia Hydroelectric Power Station” and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 123 of the Penal Code Law.
“That you, Olu Agunloye (former Minister of Power and Steel) and Leno Adesanya (at large) of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, on or about the 22nd of May, 2003 in Abuja, conspired to do an illegal act to wit; forgery of a letter titled “CONSTRUCTION OF 3,960MW MAMBILLA HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION ON A BUILD, OPERATE AND TRANSFER BASIS” dated the 22nd of May, 2003 and thereby committed forgery contrary to and punishable under sections 96 and 97 of the Penal Code.
“That you, Olu Agunloye (former Minister of Power and Steel) and Leno Adesanya (at large) of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, on or about the 22nd of May, 2003 in Abuja, with intent to cause the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) to enter into a contract with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) made a false document tiled “CONSTRUCTION OF 3,960MW MAMBILLA HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION ON A BUILD, OPERATE AND TRANSFER BASIS” and dated the 22th of May, 2003 and thereby committed forgery contrary to and punishable under sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code.
“That you, Olu Agunloye, on or about the 10th of August, 2019 in Abuja, corruptly received the sum N3,600,000.00 through your Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya for having conveyed the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” in favour of SPTCL which you did whilst serving as the Minister of Power and Steel without the approval of the Federal Executive Council contrary to, and punishable under section 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“That you, Olu Agunloye, on or about the 22nd of October, 2019 in Abuja, corruptly received the sum of N500,000.00 through your Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) for having conveyed the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” in favour of SPTCL which you did whilst serving as the Minister of Power and Steel without the approval of the Federal Executive Council contrary to, and punishable under section 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“That you, Olu Agunloye, on or about the 13th of November, 2019 in Abuja, corruptly received the sum of N1,121,000.00 through your Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) for having conveyed the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” in favour of SPTCL which you did whilst serving as the Minister of Power and Steel without the approval of the Federal Executive Council contrary to, and punishable under section 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
