The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday arraigned a former Special Adviser to the Kwara State Governor on Millennium Development Goals, Ope Saraki, who is also a cousin to Senate President Bukola Saraki for an alleged N371m scam.
The EFCC said through its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, that a former Commissioner for Information, Olatunji Moronfoye, was also arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of a Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin for offences bordering on abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.
While Moronfoye served as commissioner under Saraki when he was the governor of Kwara State, Ope served under the current Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Moronfoye and Saraki, who were first arraigned on May 13, 2015, had to re-enter their plea on Tuesday following the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice A. O. Faji.
The EFCC alleged that Moronfoye awarded contracts to the tune of N200m for the renovation of Ijagbo Primary Health Centre and specialist hospitals within the state to a company in which he had interests and was the sole signatory to its account.
It said Ope allegedly abused his office and laundered state funds for his personal benefit by awarding inflated contracts to companies owned by his associates.
Moronfoye and Saraki pleaded not guilty to the three and five counts preferred against them respectively.
In view of their pleas, counsel for the EFCC, Joseph Uzor, urged the court for a date to commence trial.
No date has been fixed yet for their trial.
