Consultant sentenced to 6 months for inflating consultancy fee

A Community Development consultant to Shanga Local Government council of Kebbi State, Garba Hassan Wara has been sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for inflating his consultancy fee.

Justice Zaiyanu Nagodi of the High court of Kebbi state sitting in Birnin Kebbi pronounced the sentence while delivering judgment on a matter brought before the court by the ICPC in 2011. Mr. Garba Hassan Wara was charged and convicted of four out of nine charges. He was accused of abetting a public officer to inflate the price of his consultancy fee for the establishment of Shanga Micro Finance Bank from N 1.7million to 5 million naira. The accused committed the offence as an agent of a consultancy firm by name Community Development.

The presiding Judge on 6th June, 2013 sentenced him to 6 months each for the four charges, which are to run concurrently. He was however given an option of fine of 50 thousand naira for count 6,150 thousand naira for count 7, 100 thousand naira for count 8, and 100 thousand naira for count 9.

The first accused in the case, Mr. Garba Salisu Takware, former chairman of Shanga Local Government was charged for conferring corrupt advantage upon himself and for inflation and making false statement, but was discharged and acquitted by the Court.