A Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Mrs. Nkem Mba, has been charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for allegedly participating in several fraudulent operations.
Mba was charged with three counts that include abuse of office and corrupt demand for reward by a public official before Justice Leteem Nyordee of the Federal High Court 12, Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Chief Registrar received a kickback of N500,000 through her bank account from the purchase of Automotive Gas Oil, often known as diesel, and other products, according to one of the counts, the ICPC’s spokeswoman Azuka Ogugua said in a statement.
When the charge was read, she however entered a “not guilty” plea, claiming that the money was her two percent entitled under Order 16 of the Admiralty Jurisdiction (Procedure Rule) 2011.
The court decided that, in contrast to her plea, her offense was in violation of Sections 10 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and was therefore penalized in accordance with those sections.
The prosecuting attorney, Agada Akogwu, did not object to her request for liberal terms of bail, which was made by her attorney, S. Somiari.
The trial judge granted the petitions and granted her N500,000 in bail with a surety who had to own real estate in Port Harcourt.
Justice Nyordee further directed that the accused shall leave her foreign passport with the Registrar while the case was postponed until July 26, 2022.
