Abuja Property Developer docked over alleged electricity theft

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

A property developer, Mr. Cecil Osakwe was on Monday docked before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court by the Federal Government on a two-count charge bordering on alleged electricity theft.

Osakwe, who is the managing Director of Abeh signatures, a property development company, however, entered a plea of not  guilty to the charge.

He equally challenged the legality of the task force that investigated the process leading to his arraignment contending that the task force is unknown to the law.

Meanwhile, the defendant  has through counsel, filed a motion seeking to stay the arraignment on the ground that the special investigative task force on electricity set up by the Attorney General of the Federal, AGF, and Minister of Justice was unlawful.

He further drew the attention of the court to a pending suit challenging the legality of the panel that investigated his client and appealed to the court for stay of proceedings pending the determination of the suit.

In her ruling, Justice Binta Nyaka however admitted him to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in the likesum.

She  however, overruled the application of stay of proceedings on the grounds that a criminal matter before pending before the court.

In the suit mark: FHC/ABJ/CR/331/2022 the federal government had filed a criminal charge against a property developer, Mr. Cecil Osakwe, over alleged N11m electricity theft.

The property developer was said to have tampered with electricity meters which resulted in the loss of N11m revenue to the Federal Government.

In charge signed by Mohammed Baba Ali, assistant director in charge of prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Osakwe was accused of interfering with the electricity supply which resulted in the loss of revenue to the Federal Government, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(10) of the miscellaneous Offences Act.

The two-count charge dated 2nd of August, 2022 read: “That you, Osakwe Ezem Cecil, sometime in the month of September 2021 at No 1, Mekong Close, Maitama, Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, unlawfully interfered with the supply of electricity by converting same which led to the losses of revenue and that in naira value about N11, 000,000.00 thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(10) of the miscellaneous Offences Act.

“That you, Osakwe Ezem Cecil, at No 1, Mekong Close, Maitama, Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, unlawfully interfered with electricity fittings, metres and appliances knowing and that you are converting supplying of electricity illegally, you thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 1(10) of the miscellaneous Offences Act.

The court adjourned the matter to  May 2 for trial and  cautioned the defendant against evading court proceedings.