Ex-Delta Poly Rector, former registrar jailed over refusal to appear before ICPC

Justice Marshal Umukoro, of the Delta State High Court, Asaba, has ordered that a former Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Dr. Edna Mogekwu, be remanded in prison for two years, one-month over a five-count charge which includes refusal to appear before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The ex-Rector, ICPC said refused to honour its invitations on allegations of corruption.

Three other principal officers of the institution were also convicted  by the court to one-month jail term, each, for same offence of their failure to appear before investigators to clear themselves of allegations of corruption.

The principal officers are, a former Registrar, Collins Onyenwenu, a former Bursar, Andy Ughusuena and a former Director of Works of the Polytechnic, Joseph Idabor, ICPC disclosed in statement by its spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua.

The offences was allegedly committed in 2015. ICPC stated that offences consist of their refusal to honour an order to produce documents required by investigators of the Commission, contrary to Section 28 (1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 28 (10) of the same Act.

The Commission had earlier filed a 5-count charge against the convicts before the court accusing them of repeatedly refusing to honour invitations from ICPC.

ICPC Counsel, Ogochukwu Iwoba, had told the court that the Rector and her accomplices who were under investigation for acts of corruption by the Commission failed to appear for interrogations when they were required.

“Justice Umukoro, at the conclusion of trial, found them guilty on four out of five counts and therefore sentenced the trio of the Registrar, Bursar and Director of Works to one-month imprisonment accordingly.

“The Rector was found guilty on counts one, two and three out of the five counts by the court. Justice Umukoro ruled that she would therefore serve one year imprisonment for counts two and three and one month’s jail term for count one. The sentences will run concurrently, the court ruled”, said Ogugua.