A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Apo yesterday fixed February 26 to hear a motion the former Minister of Power and Steel, Mr. Olu Agunloye, who was accused of complicity in a $6billion contract fraud, filed to challenge the powers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to prosecute him.
The EFCC alleged that Agunloye, who served as a minister between 1999 and 2003, under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had while he was in the position, illegally awarded a contract for the construction of 3,960mw Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis.
The agency told the court that the contract, which was awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, was done without any budgetary provision, approval and cash backing.
Agunloye was equally alleged to have corruptly received kickback to the tune of N3.6million from the company he awarded the contract to.
However, the defendant, who had also served as a Minister of State for Defence, pleaded not guilty to the seven-count charge against him.
At the resumed proceedings in the matter on Monday, the 76-year-old defendant, via a motion marked: M/3736/2024, queried the powers of the EFCC to try him over the alleged offences.
He contended that the agency was bereft of both the investigative and prosecutorial powers under Sections 6, 7 and 46 of the EFCC Act, 2004, to initiate the case against him.
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