The Federal Government has filed charges against the President in Council, Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SCN), Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla for alleged abuse of office.
Agbenla, who retired as the Permanent Secretary / Surveyor General, Lagos State, is charged with receiving about N5million as allowances for conferences not attended.
The four-count charge, marked: CR/1124/2019, now before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Zuba, Abuja was filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
Agbenla was to be arraigned on Tuesday before Justice A. O. Obong, but the exercise was put off owing to his failure to attend court.
Prosecution lawyer, Evans Peters said he was surprised the defendant was absent in court even when he had been served with the charge and was aware of the day’s proceedings.
Defence lawyer, O. O. Poroye said Agbela was absent because he was just recuperating from an accident.
Poroye said his client was advised not to travel because he was still nursing the injury he sustained in the accident.
The defence lawyer also told the court that his client has repaid the money involved in the case and was working on an out of court settlement.
Although Peter countered, arguing that the defence lawyer presented to documentary evidence to support his claims as to why the defendant was absent, Justice Obong noted that it was impossible for the court to conduct any business in Agbela’s absence.
The judge later adjourned until February 10, 2020 for arraignment.
The charge reads:
*That you, Survey Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla (M) on the 19th December, 2017 or thereabouts, within the e jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being a public officer with the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, conferred corrupt advantage upon yourself when you received the sum of N2,500,000 paid into your Guarantee Trust Bank account Number 0108278960 through bank transfers from one Ezekiel Okunola on behalf of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria as Duty Tour Allowance and other expenses for a monitoring and evaluation exercise to the South region of Nigeria, but failed to embark on the said tour, but rather claimed to have used the money for other personal purposes, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
*That you Surveyor Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla (M) on the 19th April, 2018 or thereabouts, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court being a public officer with the Surveyors Council of Nigeria conferred corrupt advantage upon yourself when you received the sum of N2,410,000 through your Guarantee Trust Bank Account 0108278960 through bank transfers from one Ezekiel Okunola on behalf of Surveyors Council of Nigeria to enable you attend the 2018 International Federation of Surveyors conference which held in Turkey, but which you failed to attend rather claimed to have used the money for other personal purposes, and thereby committed an offence contrary to ‘d punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
*That you Surveyor Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla (M) on the 19th December, 2017 or thereabouts within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being a person entrusted with the sum of N2,500,000 received through your Guarantee Trust Bank account Number 0108278960 through Bank transfers from one Ezekiel Okunota on behalf of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria as Duty Tour Allowance and other expenses for a monitoring and evaluation exercise to the South region of Nigeria dishonestly used the said money for your own personal use in violation of the discharge of the trust of embarking on the said monitoring and evaluation exercise, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 311 of Penal Code Law (Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963) and punishable under Season 312 of the same Law
*That you, Surveyor Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla (M) on 19th April, 2018 or thereabouts within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being a person entrusted with the sum of N2,410,000 which you received through your Guarantee Trust Bank account Number 0108278960 through bank transfers from one Ezekiel Okunola on behalf of Surveyors Council of Nigeria as expenses to attend the 2018 International Federation of Surveyors conference which held in Turkey, dishonestly used the said money for your own personal use in violation of the discharge of the trust of attending the said conference, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 311 of Penal Code Law (Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963) and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.