Court acquits ex-Speaker, Bankole, of contract inflation, embezzlement of N874 million

A Federal High Court in Abuja, Friday, discharged and acquitted a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, of contract inflation and fraudulent embezzlement of public funds totalling N874 million while in office.

The presiding judge, Evoh Chukwu, cleared the former Speaker of any complicity in a 16-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The Commission had dragged Mr. Bankole to court for allegedly being involved in the purchase of two bullet-proof Range Rover vehicles, two non-bulletproof Range Rover, three Mercedes Benz S-Class 600 cars, 400 units of DSTV system, 400 television sets, 800 units of desktop computers, 100 units of Sharp Digital photographers, and 400 units of Laserjet 2600N.

It said the purchases contravened Section 17 to 56 of the Procurement Act No. 14 of 2007.