ICPC Arraigns Professor For ‘Offering Its Staff $40,000 Bribe’ To Compromise Investigation

A professor, John Kester Ifeanyichukwu has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of bribery and inducement of officers of the commission.

John Kester Ifeanyichukwu Arraigned

ICPC Spokesperson, Azuka Ogugwa, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the professor was arraigned before a judge of the federal capital territory (FCT) High Court, A.O. Otaluka, on a one-count charge of bribery.

The anti-graft agency is accusing Ifechukwu of allegedly “issuing a cheque valued at $40,000 to a staff of the commission” to compromise ICPC investigations.

The statement reads, “The cheque was part of the $50,000 and a house in Abuja, promised to the officer to compromise the investigation by retrieving the accused person’s devices, MacBook S/N CIML8BUGDTY3, MacBook S/N W80204J7ATN and iPhone pro11 which were in the custody of ICPC for investigative activities.

“John Kester Ifeanyichukwu had earlier been reported to the commission by the presidency for alleged acts bordering on corruption, extortion and money laundering.

“ICPC, in a Charge No: CR/025/2022, informed the court of how the defendant induced one of its operatives to smuggle out a particular iPhone and a laptop and to replace them with a dummy that was to be provided by his personal assistant.”

The commission said the action of the accused contravenes section 18 (b) and is punishable under section 18 (d) of the ICPC Act, 2000.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and sought bail.

Ruling on the application, the judge, Angela Otaluka admitted Ifeanyichukwu to bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

The sureties must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and one of them must have a landed property in Abuja.

The judge ordered that the international passport of the accused and other valid travel documents must be submitted to the court before the next adjourned date.

Otaluka adjourned the matter to June 21, 2022, for further hearing.

KanyiDaily had also reported how ICPC recovered 301 ‘illegal acquired’ houses from two public officials in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).