Orubebe, Oludare Lawrence Alaba, Ephraim Tewolde Zeri (Director of Contracts) and Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Limited were accused, in a five-count charge, of alleged involvement in the diversion of about N2 billion naira meant for for the dualisation of Section IV of the East West Road. The charge marked: CR/265/2016 was filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). The charge borders on alleged corruption, diversion of funds and perjury. He was accused of circumventing a Federal Executive Council, (FEC), approval for the dualisation of the Eket – Oron Road, part of the East West Road which runs from Edo to Bayelsa states, by allegedly instructing the contractor, Gitto Construction, to rehabilitate it instead. Orubebe and others are also charged with conferring undue advantage on the construction firm when they caused the money meant for compensating residents whose properties were marked for demolition paid to Gitto. The ICPC alleged, in court documents that N2,320,686,826.00 approved as compensation for owners of properties that were to be demolished to make way for the dualisation of the road was paid to the contractor instead of the beneficiaries. The ex-minister is also accused of making false statements to the ICPC claiming that the decision to rehabilitate the road rather than dualise it was taken after he had left office as the Minister of Niger Delta. When the case was called yesterday. before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, prosecution lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha told the court that the ICPC was yet to effect service of the charge on the defendants. He sought adjournment to enable the prosecution serve the defendants with the charge, a request the judge granted and adjourned to August 30 for arraignment. Orubebe is currently being tried before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on a one-count charge of non-declaration of a property he allegedly acquired in Abuja while serving as a minister. Trial has been concluded in the case before the CCT and judgment has been reserved The charge before the High Court of the FCT reads: That you ELDER GODSDAY PETER ORUBEBE sometime in September 2015 or thereabout at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make false statement to officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICIP), Messrs Eric Anona, Isiona Okolo and Bukar Galadima in the course of their official duty, when you informed them in writing respecting the contract for the dualisation of Eket Urban Road that the decision to rehabilitate instead of dualisation was taken when you had left office as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which information you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section25 (1)(a) and punishable under Section 25 (1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. COUNT 2 That you, ELDER GODSDAY PETER ORUBEBE, sometime between 2010 and 2014 or thereabout, while being a Hon. Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, deployed to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, used your position as minister to confer an unfair advantage upon Gitto Costruzioni Generali (Nig.) Ltd by circumventing the approval of the Federal Executive Council respecting the contract for the dualization of the Eket-Oron Road when you took a decision to rehabilitate the road contrary to the award letter reference No. WR14522/Vol. 1/55 dated 28/09/2006 as approved by the Federal Executive Council and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000. COUNT 3 That you OLUDARE LAWRENCE ALABA (M)sometimes between 2010 and 2014 or thereabout, while being in the employment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, deployed to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as Assistant Director, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, did direct the spending of the balance of the compensation money totaling the sum of (N1, 965,576,153.46) being meant to compensate owners of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) via a letter reference No EWR/S4/CN5883/COMP/vol.9/429 dated 23/01/2015 as part of the contract sum when you knew that the money was for compensation only and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000 COUNT 4 That you, GITTO COSTRUZIONI GENERALI (NIG.) LTD, through Mr Ephraim Tewolde Zeri, Director Contracts, sometime between 2010 and 2014 or thereabouts within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, cheated the Federal Government of Nigeria of the sum N1,965,576,153.46 being balance of the compensation money of N2, 320,686,826.00 with the knowledge to cause wrongful loss to the Federal Government of Nigeria whose interest in the compensation money meant for owners of the properties marked for demolition in respect of the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) you were bound by the contract for the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) to protect, by returning the said balance to the Federal Government of Nigeria but failed to return same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 323 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory 2006. COUNT 5 That you ELDER GODSDAY PETER ORUBEBE (m), OLUDARE LAWRENCE ALABA (m), MR. EPHRAIM TEWOLDE ZERI< DIRECTOR CONTRACTS and GITTO COSTRUZIONI GENERALI (NIG.) LTD,sometimes between 2010 and 2014 or thereabout, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, agreed to deploy the balance of the compensation money of N1, 965,576,153.46 meant for owners of properties marked for demolition in respect of Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) into the contract for the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) against the purpose for which the money was meant for and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code CAP 532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory 2006.]]>