Two other accused persons, Franklin Nwankwo and Pam
Investment Properties, were arraigned alongside Chidi, on 15 counts of
obtaining by false pretences and money laundering.
They were said to have used their position in the
Pension Department to obtain N1.6bn by false pretences and launder an
additional $2m (equivalent of N332m).
Chidi had earlier been arraigned alongside Shuaibu
Teidi, a former Director, Pension Accounts, Office of the Head of Service of
the Federation of Nigeria, before Justice Adamu Bello.
Her re-arraignment followed the ruling of the court
to split the charge in order to have each accused person stand separate trials
for their alleged involvement in the pension scam.
The charges read in part, “That you, Phina Chidi
(while serving as Assistant Director, Pension Department of Office of the Head
of Service of the Federation of Nigeria), at various times between January 2009
and December 2010, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, obtained
for yourself by false pretences and with intent to defraud, through fictitious
contracts payments to Cenco Enterprises, various sums of money amounting in
aggregate to N74,350,000.00 from the Federal Government of Nigeria through the
Pension Account held by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of
Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the
Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable
under Section 1(30) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences
Act,2006”. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In view of their plea, the counsel for the EFCC,
Godwin Obla, asked the court for a date to commence trial.
However, the counsel for the first accused person,
Godwin Uche, urged the court to admit his client to bail, adding that he had
earlier been granted bail in May, 2011, by Justice Bello.
Justice Kolawole granted the accused persons bail
in the sum of N10m each, with sureties who must be resident in Abuja.
The case was adjourned till February 4 and 5, 2015
for trial.
Punch
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