A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that Yusufu be kept in Kuje prison till March 1, when his trial will commence for failing to make full disclosure of assets and liability in his assets declaration form, a requirement of all public servants.
This was part of the fresh four-count charge brought against the convict by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission also borders on his failure to declare his interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Ltd. He is alleged to have used the company to lodge N250million with a new generation bank.
A lot of uproar was generated his light sentence with the EFCC insisting that Yusufu is supposed to serve time in jail after all his properties might have been seized. This development prompted the anti -graft agency to re-arrest Yusufu over his alleged non-disclosure of assets.
The sum was allegedly fixed at Yusufu’s behest through Mele’s company, Jidag Technical Services Ltd, which had an account in Diamond Bank Plc.
Yusufu was last Monday arraigned alongside other former officials of the Pension Office who were alleged to have pilfered about N39 billion from the pension funds.
He had pleaded guilty to counts 18, 19 and 20 wherein he allegedly connived with the other accused persons to embezzle the sum of N24 billion belonging to the Police Pension Office.
The fresh charges, signed by the acting Director, Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, reads: “That you, John YakubuYusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in a company known as SY-A Global Services Limited, a Nigerian company incorporated by you and solely owned by yourself and members of your immediate family and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John YakubuYusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in the N250million you lodged in a fixed deposit account with the Zenith Bank in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John YakubuYusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in the sum of N10million you lodged in a fixed deposit account with the First Bank of Nigeria in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
“That you, John YakubuYusufu on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you by not declaring your interest in the sum of N29million which was fixed on your instruction by one DanjumaMele in his company account in the name of Jidag Technical Services Limited with Diamond Bank and for your benefit and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc) Act CAP E1 2004.
However, Yusufu pleaded not guilty to the fresh charges brought against him.
Lawyer to EFCC, Mr.Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial and had two witnesses ready to give evidence against the accused.He also prayed the court to remand the accused person in prison custody pending the next adjourned date.
But lawyer to Yusufu, Theodore Mayaki, however, pleaded with the court to rather remand the accused in the EFCC custody.
In his short ruling, Justice Bello ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody. He consequently adjourned the case till March 1 for trial.