The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought former Minister of Power and Steel Development, Olu Agunloye, before Justice J.0 Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja. On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, Agunloye faced seven charges related to fraudulent award of contracts and official corruption.
One of the charges alleges that Agunloye, during his tenure as Minister of Power and Steel on May 22, 2003, awarded a contract for the “Construction of 3,960mw Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited without proper budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing. This act is said to be an offense contrary to Section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Another count accuses Agunloye of corruptly receiving Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N3,600,000.00) in August 2019 through his Guaranty Trust Bank account from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya. The funds were allegedly received for conveying the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” in favor of SPTCL while he served as the Minister of Power and Steel without Federal Executive Council approval. This act is punishable under Section 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Agunloye pleaded “not guilty” to all charges, and Justice Onwuegbuzie ruled for his remand in Kuje Correctional Centre until the hearing on the bail application scheduled for Thursday, January 11, 2024.
