EFCC arraigns 5 over $4m HIV fund diversion

The trial of five persons, implicated in the alleged diversion of about $4 million of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/ AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Nigeria has begun before Justice O.O. Goodluck of the Federal Capital Territory, High Court, Maitama.

The defendants - Abimbola Abioye, Wuraola Adebayo, Zubairu Ibrahim, Faturiti Jacob and Azeez Aderemi, are facing a six-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, forgery and embezzlement of the grant by the Genevabased agency.

It would be recalled that The Global Fund had in March 2016 suspended payments to Nigeria’s AIDS agency, over the diversion of about $3.8m allegedly stolen by workers and consultants.

After pleading not guilty, prosecuting counsel, J.A. Bwala, urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of their trial.

Counsel to the first, fourth and fifth defendants, O. Odumosun, made an oral application for their bail, and adopted his sevenparagraph affidavit to back his application. Counsel to the second and third defendants aligned themselves to his submission.

The court admitted them to bail in the sum of N1m each and one surety each in like sum, who must be level 12 above and must be resident in Abuja. They were further ordered to submit their international passports to the court.

The case has been adjourned to October 11, 17, 23 and 24, 2018, for commencement of trial.