A worker of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mr Charles Abonyi has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Wuse Zone 2 for allegedly receiving N30,000 gratification.
The suspect is an auditor with PTAD, has no fixed address and is facing a one-count charge.
The Prosecuting counsel, Mr Sunday Robert informed the court that sometime in 2016, the defendant allegedly received N30,000 from Dennis Chukwudi as a reward for paying his fathers’ pension.
According to the Prosecuting counsel, such gratification was against the ethics of the job.
Robert further disclosed that the offence contravened Section 8 of the Independent and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under the same Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defendant’s lawyer S. A. Ajayi said he served the prosecutor an application for bail on March 4.
He prayed the court to allow his client to continue with the administrative bail pending when the bail application would be ready for hearing.
The judge, Justice Ajoke Adepoju, asked the prosecutor if the defendant had defaulted since he was given the administrative bail and he said no.
The judge said he should continue with the EFCC’s administrative bail, pending when the bail application would be ready.
He adjourned the matter till April 2 for hearing and ruling on the bail application.