Immediate past Secretary to the Edo State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekemhe and three others were on Monday remanded in prison custody by a High Court sitting in Benin.
Imuekemhe — alongside Joseph Emoabino, Aghator Efe and Davidi Igbinoba — is facing trial on an eight-count charge bordering on diversion of state funds, and will remain in prison until 14th March 2014.
As SSG, Imuekemhe is accused of conspiring with the trio to divert a total sum of N113m, being the state Universal Basic Education (UBE) fund to another project not covered by the intervention funds. The alleged offence was committed on 5th June 2012 when Emoabino was Chairman of the Edo State UBE, Igbinoba was Secretary, and Efe was Director of Finance and Accounts.
All four pleaded not guilty to the charges when the case was called for hearing.
Imuekemhe’s counsel, Mr. Omoruyi Omonuwa had applied for his bail, but counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Larry Aso, saying the four accused persons had been on administrative bail since when 26th February when the case originally ought to have been heard.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Esther Edigin rejected the bail application, insisting that the administrative bail elapsed once the matter came before the court. She said that since the bail application has not been heard, she could not grant the bail.
She then ordered the remandment of the four accused persons in prison custody until the hearing of the bail application on 14th March 2014
