How a Senator's Imprisonment for Corruption Destabilized Akwa Ibom Politicians
Supporters of Bassey Albert, an Akwa Ibom state senator and Young Progressive Party gubernatorial candidate jailed two weeks ago for corruption by the Federal High Court in Uyo, do not believe that was justly punished.
Mr. Albert's campaign organization denounced the judgment as a "travesty of justice", and his supporters accuse Governor Udom Emmanuel of influencing the processes that led to the sentencing. Mr. Emmanuel denied.
Its information commissioner, Ini Ememobong, said in a statement on Friday that no official was involved in the case. "We only learned from news reports that the defense team through their witnesses had unambiguously acknowledged the commission of the offenses contained in the charges against the defendant," he said.
>Former Governor Godswill Akpabio, whose administration Mr. Albert served as finance commissioner, also denied involvement in the conviction. But the accusations don't go away.
The way to jailOn December 1, Judge Agatha Okeke sentenced Mr. Albert, a senator, to 42 years in prison for receiving bribes for 12 cars worth N254 million. Mr. Albert was sentenced to seven years on each of six counts, totaling 42 years. The sentences are executed simultaneously.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted Mr Albert, said it received the vehicles between 2010 and 2014 from Jide Omokore, a businessman, when Mr Albert was commissioner Finance and President of the Interministerial Coordination of Direct Work. Committee (IMDLCC).
The anti-corruption agency said it traced N3bn payments from the Akwa Ibom state government and IMDLCC to the accounts of five companies linked to Mr Omokore, who said the payments were for contracts he performed for the state government.
The commission, through a search warrant executed at the residence and office of Mr. Omokore, discovered documents indicating that Mr. Omokore and his companies had received money from the government of the State and purchased cars for Mr. Albert.
The EFCC arrested Mr. Albert on May 14, 2018 but later released him on bail. In August 2018, the commission filed a complaint against Messrs. Albert and Omokore outside the Lagos High Court in Ikeja, but the duo were absent when the case was heard on December 12, 2018 as defense counsel challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.
On April 10, 2019, Judge Oluwatoyin Taiwo dismissed the action for lack of jurisdiction.
On June 24, 2019, the EFCC sued Mr. Albert in the Uyo Federal High Court for money laundering, but he pleaded not guilty...
Supporters of Bassey Albert, an Akwa Ibom state senator and Young Progressive Party gubernatorial candidate jailed two weeks ago for corruption by the Federal High Court in Uyo, do not believe that was justly punished.
Mr. Albert's campaign organization denounced the judgment as a "travesty of justice", and his supporters accuse Governor Udom Emmanuel of influencing the processes that led to the sentencing. Mr. Emmanuel denied.
Its information commissioner, Ini Ememobong, said in a statement on Friday that no official was involved in the case. "We only learned from news reports that the defense team through their witnesses had unambiguously acknowledged the commission of the offenses contained in the charges against the defendant," he said.
>Former Governor Godswill Akpabio, whose administration Mr. Albert served as finance commissioner, also denied involvement in the conviction. But the accusations don't go away.
The way to jailOn December 1, Judge Agatha Okeke sentenced Mr. Albert, a senator, to 42 years in prison for receiving bribes for 12 cars worth N254 million. Mr. Albert was sentenced to seven years on each of six counts, totaling 42 years. The sentences are executed simultaneously.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted Mr Albert, said it received the vehicles between 2010 and 2014 from Jide Omokore, a businessman, when Mr Albert was commissioner Finance and President of the Interministerial Coordination of Direct Work. Committee (IMDLCC).
The anti-corruption agency said it traced N3bn payments from the Akwa Ibom state government and IMDLCC to the accounts of five companies linked to Mr Omokore, who said the payments were for contracts he performed for the state government.
The commission, through a search warrant executed at the residence and office of Mr. Omokore, discovered documents indicating that Mr. Omokore and his companies had received money from the government of the State and purchased cars for Mr. Albert.
The EFCC arrested Mr. Albert on May 14, 2018 but later released him on bail. In August 2018, the commission filed a complaint against Messrs. Albert and Omokore outside the Lagos High Court in Ikeja, but the duo were absent when the case was heard on December 12, 2018 as defense counsel challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.
On April 10, 2019, Judge Oluwatoyin Taiwo dismissed the action for lack of jurisdiction.
On June 24, 2019, the EFCC sued Mr. Albert in the Uyo Federal High Court for money laundering, but he pleaded not guilty...
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