THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested a Magistrate’s Court judge in Enugu for demanding and receiving bribe from a surety. .
ICPC said the judge, with the Enugu North Local Council Magistrate’s Court, was brought to its headquarters on Friday for interrogation.
Its Head of Public Enlightenment, Mike Sowe, described the arrest as a sting operation, which was carried out following a petition from a citizen who is standing as a surety for two suspects in the judge’s jurisdiction. .
“The petitioner alleged that after granting bail to the two suspects, the judge demanded for the sum of N500,000 as settlement. .
“An initial sum of N100,000 was paid to the judge’s account in addition to another payment of N50,000 cash which he collected from the surety”, he said, adding that in his determination to collect more money, the judge continued to harass and intimidate the surety, who finally decided to report the matter to the ICPC.
“The Commission then dispatched some operatives with N50,000 marked notes which the magistrate received and was promptly arrested”, Sowe said.
Meanwhile, the commission has threatened to take four former chief executive officers of some federal agencies to court over their refusal to appear before it last week. .
Those affected are former chief executive officers of the National Judicial Council, National Board for Community Bank, Federal Ministry of Interior and Federal Ministry of Cooperation and Integration in Africa.
Source: The Guardian