BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The Gombe Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured conviction on two former accounts officials of the Bauchi State Government over fraud and financial embellishments.
The two former accounts’ staff namely Kawu Chindo, a former Chief Accountant with the Bauchi State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board and Ali Baba with the Office of the Accountant General of the State were on Wednesday found guilty of committing fraud and sentenced by the Bauchi Division of the Federal High Court to seven years and three months imprisonment each.
The duo were accused of conspiring to appropriate for themselves public funds to the tune of N73.7m by diverting the amount to personal account thereby committing the offence of fraud.
The Gombe Zonal Office of EFCC had commenced investigations on the allegation against the convicts in August 2020 when it received a petition from the Bauchi State Government.
The State Ministry of Finance and Economic Development had accused the two officials of printing and issuing fake revenue receipts to intending hajj pilgrims in 2019.
They were also accused to have diverted the money to their personal accounts with the intention of defrauding government and the innocent people who paid the money.
At the end of the trial, the Court presided over by Justice Mu’azu Abubakar found them guilty as charged and sentenced them accordingly.
