Ex-DG of NITDA docked over N50m contract scam, gets N20m bail

A former Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Peter Jack, has been arraigned before an FCT High Court in Apo over alleged N50 million contract scam.

He was, however, admitted to bail in the sum of N20million after pleading not guilty to the two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The prosecution counsel, Mrs. Chelsy Emezina from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), on Tuesday, told the court that sometime in 2015, the complainant, Tunde Ajala, transferred N50 million to the defendant as payment to award him a contract worth over N1 billion.

Emezina said that Ajala had accepted to pay the sum of N100 million to be awarded the contract and agreed to pay the balance of another N50 million when the contract was finally awarded.

It was further alleged that the contract was never awarded and instead the defendant converted the money to his personal use and every effort to recover the money had proved abortive. The offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The defendant’s counsel, O. A. Ekpenta, thereafter, made an oral application for bail for his client in the most liberal terms citing section 156 and 162 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, as the basis for his application.

But the prosecution counsel objected to the bail on the grounds that the defendant would jump bail if granted and instead prayed the court for accelerated hearing.

In ruling, Justice Sylvanus Oriji admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties in like sum.

He directed that the sureties (one of whom must be a civil servant), must depose to affidavit of means, reside within the court’s jurisdiction and their addresses must be verified by the court’s registrar.

The judge thereafter adjourned the case to April 30 and May 18 for hearing.