A former Coordinator of Afikpo South Local Government Development Centre of Ebonyi State, Ugwuocha Okoroafor, was on Thursday, July 28, 2016, arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Okoroafor was brought before Justice E.A. Ngene of the State High Court, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, on a 15-count charge of conspiracy and stealing of public funds totalling over N25 million.
The suspect was arraigned alongside then his Treasurer, Christian Chukwu Owo and the Administrative Officer, Mrs Anne Eke Agwu.
Okoroafor and his alleged co-conspirators were said to have at various times between 2013 and 2015 raised vouchers for payments ranging from contract awards, salaries and independence day celebrations in the names of staff of the development centre who denied ever authorized such vouchers nor received such funds.
Investigation into the matter which was reported by Centre for Prevention of Corruption and Human Right Initiatives and some staff of the development centre revealed that the accused persons padded their salaries and that of other staff above the approved limits with the connivance of a staff of the bank where the local Government is domiciled.
The sum of N16 million and N8 million were at different times reportedly traced to the accused persons’ accounts, which upon interrogation, they could not justify the source.
