By Our Reporters
A SENIOR official, at the revenue collection department of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Ondo Business District in Ondo town, Mr. Okenwa Ejike and an inhabitant of Igburowo town, in Odigbo Local Government in Ondo state, Mr. Tope Iluyomade, have been remanded in Segede prison custody in Ondo town by a Chief Magistrate court sitting at Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government in Ondo state.
The two accused are standing trial in connection with the case of stealing and illegal conversion of the sum of N2.9 million meant to be paid into the account of the PHCN for the amount of electricity consumed by the inhabitants of Igburowo community made up of 197 houses located in the agrarian community.
Prior to the arraignment of the duo, it was learnt that the people of the agrarian community had in a meeting held with the marketing manager and staff of the Ondo Business District, in August 2010, agreed to enter into a bulk payment agreement in the remittance of monthly bill by electricity consumers in the area.
It was further learnt that as a way of facilitating easy collection and payment of the monthly electricity bill used in the area, the community nominated Tope Iluyomade who is said to be one of the indigenes of the community to handle the transaction on its behalf.
Subsequently, the payment of the money collected from the 197 households totaling N191, 200 commencing on monthly basis from August 2010 was said to have been given to the said Tope and the PHCN official Mr. Ejike for onward payment to the PHCN.
In addition, several other amounts collected from the initial payment of N191, 200 which ran up till May 2012 and totaling N3, 632,800 was also said to have been collected by the accused persons on behalf of the community for onward payment to PHCN out of which they were alleged to have paid N730, 000 into the coffers of the company leaving a shortfall of N2, 902,800 which he was accused of illegal diversion into personal use.
It was however gathered from a reliable source in the community that the matter later became a public knowledge when PHCN decided to cut off electricity supply to the community over an accusation over indebtedness to the tune of N2.9million.
This development was said to have angered the people of the community who in reaction to the accusation sent their representatives to the Ondo Business District Office of the PHCN where account reconciliation was said to have been carried out.
The outcome of the reconciliation which was made available through a statement of account prepared from August 2010 up till May 2012, a photocopy of which was made available to Journalists later revealed the discrepancies.
Subsequently, a report of the discovery was said to have been brought to the knowledge of the Ondo state Commissioner of Police via a letter written to him dated May 5, 2012 and signed by the legal practitioner representing the community, Gabriel Ohre, a photocopy of which was made available to THE PLATFORM which corroborated the discovery of the discrepancies in the deposit made by Tope and the statement of account issued on the amount received by the PHCN.
Subsequent upon the receipt of the petition by the police, the duo was said to have been arrested for interrogation at the Ondo state Police Command headquarters in Akure, the capital of Ondo state. It was however gathered that during the course of the interrogation, the accused was said to have mentioned the name of the PHCN employee, Ejike as his accomplice in the crime.
However, following the conclusion of investigation, a reliable agreement was said to have been made between the police and the PHCN official on how the said amount would be paid back to the coffers of the organisation.
When the two accused were arraigned before the court on a four-count charge bothering on conspiracy, stealing, fraud and illegal conversion of money. The offences are contrary to sections 516, 390 (6), 390(9), and 439 of the criminal code cap 37 Vol 1 Laws of Ondo state of Nigeria, 2006.
When the charge sheet was read to each of the accused separately, they pleaded not guilty to the offences. Subsequently, police prosecutor, Momoh Sikiru, an Inspector, told the court of his readiness to prosecute the case by inviting ten witnesses. He further urged the court to grant him adjournment to peruse the case file and assemble all the witnesses.
In their separate applications for bail made on behalf of the accused persons, their defense counsels, Otunba Yemi Akindugbagbe and Bode Akinkoye urged the court to admit them on bail in liberal terms. They assured the court that their clients would not jump bail and are ready to produce reliable sureties that would stand for them.
After listening to the two parties and given opportunities to the complainant and the accused to express their minds, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mr. A.F Ayeomoni declined to grant the bail application. He later ordered the two accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till August 14, 2012 for continuation of hearing.
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