The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned in Court, a civil servant with the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), Mr. Suleiman Austin Adavize, for allegedly signing-off a contract that was not completed.
Mr. Adavize was arraigned on Monday before Hon Justice Peter Kekemeke of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on three-count charge bordering on false statement.
One of the counts read: “That you, Suleiman Austin Adavize (m) sometime in May, 2022 or thereabout at the Federal Capital Territory Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court while being an Architect at the Border Community Development Agency did make a false statement in your progress report of September 2021. That contract for the construction of ICT Centre at Gumel Local Government Area, Jigawa State awarded to Gare Investment Nigeria Limited was 100% complete when you knew it was false as you did not visit the ICT Centre and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 70 (1)(b) of the Public Enterprise Regulatory.”
Adavize pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him and his Counsel, AG, Osayande applied that the Defendant be granted bail subject to the overriding convenience of the Court.
The Counsel to the ICPC, Eno Ighodaro-Yahaya, did not object to the bail application for the defendant.
In his ruling, Justice Kekemeke stated that since there was no objection to the bail application by the Prosecutor, there was no reason to deny the Defendant his freedom.
“The application for bail is unopposed; the alleged offence is bailable so there is no reason why the Defendant should be denied bail. He is hereby granted bail in the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00) and one surety in like sum.
The Surety must be; 1: A Pastor in the Church where the defendant worships or the Chairman of the Estate where the Defendant lives or a Senior Officer in the defendant’s place of work” he ruled.
Justice Kekemeke thereafter adjourned the case till February 22nd, 2024 for hearing.
ICPC had in July 2022 received a petition that an ICT Centre constructed by the Border Communities Development Agency in Gumel Local Government Area of Jigawa State had no required fittings as the Agency handed over a building structure with only five pieces of computers while there were three halls meant to house complete computer sets.
It may be recalled that one of the findings of ICPC’s Constituency and Executive Tracking Initiative is that some projects that were certified completed were found not to be so when the Commission went to track them.