By Temitope Akintoye,
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Rasaq Kolawole, on charges of fraud to the tune of N4.4 million.
It said that Kolawole had allegedly defrauded a man identified as Ibikunle Alonge, of the sum of N4.4 million, which had been received as part payment for a piece of land located at the Alabata Olokoso area of Ibadan, Oyo state and that the permanent secretary was being arraigned for obtaining the funds under false pretenses.
The commission claimed that intelligence regarding the transaction suggested that the piece of land which had been sold by Kolawole actually belonged to someone else and that the defendant had refused to refund the illegally received payment to Alonge.
According to the EFCC, such offense is against Section 1 (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
It said that Kolawole had been arraigned on Wednesday, before Justice Aderonke Aderemi of the Oyo State High Court and that the civil-servant had pleaded not guilty to the one-count fraud charge.
“That you, Alhaji Kolawole Rasaq on or about the 2nd of October, 2018, at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this honorable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4,400,000 (Four Million and Four Hundred Thousand Naira only) from one Alonge Ibikunle through Pastor Adeyemi Fabayo by falsely pretending that it was part payment of the cost price of eleven and a half plots of land situated, lying and being at Alabata Olokoso area, via Moniya area, Ibadan which you purported to have sold to him”, the charge sheet read.
The Judge had, however, granted the defendant bail on grounds of self- recognizance and adjourned the matter to June 24 and 25, 2020 for trial.
