A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday remanded former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi Umar, in Kuje Correctional Centre after he was arraigned by the Federal Government on a four-count charge bordering on alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand after he pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him.
The Federal Government alleged that Umar abused his office by receiving illicit payments from contractors while serving as chairman of the tribunal.
According to the prosecution, Umar allegedly used his wife’s bank account to receive N5.5 million from a contractor awarded the contract to paint the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja in 2021.
The prosecution further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the former CCT chairman again used his wife’s account to receive N6 million from another contractor handling the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
In another count, the Federal Government accused Umar of directing a contractor to pay N2.43 million for his daughter’s tuition at Baze University, Abuja.
The alleged offences are said to contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Following Umar’s plea of not guilty, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to remand the defendant and fix a date for trial.
Counsel to the defendant, however, applied for his bail pending the determination of the case.
The prosecution opposed the immediate hearing of the bail application, stating that it had only just been served with the application and required time to file a response.
After hearing both parties, Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter until July 15 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
