One of
Nigeria’s foremost celebrities, Onyeka Onwenu, has been accused of demanding
and collecting kickbacks through her personal assistant, Chika Abazu, from a
contractor employed to carry out renovation works at the National Centre for
Women Development [NCWD], where she is director general.
The
accusation was levelled by Joseph Nwakama, an architect with Solidmark
Associates Limited, the company employed by the Centre to carry out the
renovation of its guest house.
However,
although it was established by investigators from the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, that Mr. Abazu indeed
demanded and received a total of N17 million bribe from the contractor, no
direct evidence has so far linked Ms. Onwenu to the offence.
So,
it was Mr. Abazu who was on July 10 arraigned before a Federal Capital
Territory High Court on a six-count charge of bribery and gratification.
The
accused pleaded not guilty to the charges but was denied bail and ordered
remanded in the Federal Prisons, Kuje, until the case is dispensed with.
The
presiding judge, Justice Chukwu Ndukwe, adjourned the case till September 28
for trial to commence.
- Premium Times
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