A FORMER lawmaker, John Dyegh, has been arraigned on corruption charges at the Federal High Court (FHC) 1 sitting in Makurdi, Benue State.
The lawmaker who once represented Gboko and Tarka Federal Constituency was arraigned for allegedly violating the provisions of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Acts 2000 under case number FHC/MKD/CR/184/2024.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, November 12 by the acting director, Public Enlightenment and Education at the ICPC, Demola Bakare, Dyegh, was arraigned on a five-count charge of abuse of office and money laundering before M. Shitu Abubakar at the FHC in Makurdi, the state capital.
According to the statement, the charges detailed alleged corrupt practices, including Dyegh’s receipt of N18.9 million on May 19, 2014, intended for the construction of school facilities in Guma LGA, Benue State.
He was also accused of allegedly channelling the funds through the First Bank account of Midag Limited, a company in which Dyegh has a substantial interest.
According to the ICPC, this alleged action violates Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act of 2000.
Dyegh was further alleged to have received and transferred these funds through Midag Limited and Kangnaan Global Resources Limited, companies associated with him, contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act.
In addition, the charge sheet alleged that Dyegh abused his office by privately benefiting from contracts awarded to these companies while overseeing the related funds as a signatory on their accounts.
At the commencement of the trial, the presiding judge, Abubakar, ordered Dyegh to be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Center, Makurdi, pending the determination of his bail application, and adjourned the matter till Monday, November 11, 2024.
At the resumed hearing of the case, Defence Counsel S.E. Irabo moved a bail application for his client and prayed to the court to grant him bail, citing health concerns.
The ICPC, represented by Bako Along and T.S. Iorgeen, did not oppose the application.
After listening to the argument of the counsels, the judge, Abubakar, subsequently granted Dyegh bail in the amount of N20 million, including two sureties with international passports and verifiable addresses.
The judge later adjourned the case until January 16, 2025, for a definite hearing of the corrupt suit preferred against the former lawmaker.
A reporter with the ICIR
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