Accountant Bags 21 Years For Stealing N26.1m Pension Fund

Abdullahi was prose­cuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commis­sion (EFCC) at a Federal High Court, Abuja on a sev­en-count amended charge that bordered on money laundering.

The Commission’s Spokes­person, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement said count four of the charge reads, “That you, Garba Abdullahi Tahir (also known as Tahir Garba) on or about the 18th of January, 2010 in Abuja within the ju­risdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N3,000,000.00 into cash by Eco­bank cheque no. 92 drawn in favour of one Sani Abdullahi through your bank account with Ecobank Plc which sum represented part of the pro­ceeds of the crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby committed an offense con­trary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Pro­hibition) Act, 2004 and punish­able under section 14(1) of the same Act”.

Count six reads, “That you Garba Abdullahi Tahir (also known as Tahir Garba on or about the 12th April 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honour­able Court converted the sum of N7,800,000.00 (Seven Million and Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) into a bank draft or Manager’s Cheque in favour of CHARO Bureau de Change Ltd through your bank account with Ecobank Plc, which sum represented part of the proceeds of crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Of­fice of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby com­mitted an offense contrary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Mon­ey Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable un­der section 14(1) of the same Act”

Count seven read reads, “That you, Garba Abdullahi Tahir (Also known as Tahir Garba) on or about the 17 of May, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Hon­ourable Court converted the sum of N7,500,000.00 (Seven Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira) into a bank draft or Manager’s Cheque in favour of CHARO Bureau de Change Ltd through your bank account with Ecobank Plc which sum represented part of the proceeds of crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Of­fice of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby committed an offense”.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges upon arraign­ment. The case went into the trial with the prosecution calling several witnesses and tender­ing documents in evidence.

Delivering judgment to­day, Justice Inyang Ekwo said the prosecution had proved the case against the defen­dant and convicted him on all seven charges.