The trial of the Registrar of Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Dr. Daniel Maddo, and two other former officials of the council over a N90.7m scam, could not take place on Monday following the failure of one of the accused persons to appear before Justice Abubakar Talba of an Abuja High Court in Gudu.
The other accused persons are the former council’s Director of Finance, Dr. Hilary Ibe, and the council’s ex-Administrative Secretary, Mr. Alexander Abafi.
Ibe informed the court through his lawyer, Mr. Cosmas Okpara, that his client had eye surgery and was still recuperating in the hospital.
While tendering a medical report from the hospital to substantiate the claims, Okpara, apologised to the court for the development, stating that the eye problem, which had affected his client, had degenerated recently and required surgery to restore his sight.
Justice Talba adjourned the matter to July 20, 2011.
They were alleged to have misappropriated the sum of N90.7m belonging to the organisation.
Justice Talba had in granting them bail, noted that the accused persons had earlier been granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2008 when the anti graft agency first investigated the alleged crimes without any breach.
He granted them bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum.
Their arraignment was sequel to a two year old pressure mounted on the anti graft agency by the plaintiff and an Abuja-based anti-corruption activist, Mr. Emmanuel Ebirim, who uncovered the scam.
The alleged fraudulent activities included listing of 75 ghost workers as against 23 employees on the council’s nominal payroll; fraudulent conversion of the council’s land to personal use.
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N90.7m council scam: Accused person hospitalised