The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) on Wednesday 6th of November 2019 arraigned the General Manager of Kwara State Television Authority, Alhaji Abdulfatai Adewale Adebowale on a six count charge bordering on malpractices.
Adebowale was arraigned before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
His trouble started when some staff of Kwara Television wrote a petition to the EFCC, alleging that the Station's General Manager sold the ten plots of land allocated to Workers by the State Government and converted it to his personal use.
The Petitioner also alleged that the defendant used his influence to allocate a plot of Land to his daughter who is not working with the Television Station.
Count Three of the Charge reads "That you, Abdulfatai Adewale Adebowale being a public officer, as the General Manager of Kwara State Television Authority, sometime between may, 2015 and June 2015 , in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kwara State, used your Office to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself, when you received a cash deposit of the sum of #2,350,000.00 (Two Million, three hundred and fifty thousand naira only) through your Stanbic Ibtc Bank account number 0007306612 from Sulyman Abdulkareem being proceeds from the sale of land allocated to staff of Kwara State Television and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000"
The Kwara TV boss however pleaded not guilty when the charges were read.
Prosecuting Counsel, Christopher Mschelia however told the Court " My Lord, in the light of defendant's plea of not guilty, the prosecution shall be praying this honourable court to give us a trial day and order the accused Person to be remanded in Prison Custody "
Defence Counsel, D.B Hasana told the Court " My Lord, we have no objections to the first prayer seeking for a trial day but we shall be vehemently opposing the the second prayer, I urge you to remand the defendant in EFCC Custody because of health conditions "
Justice Oyinloye ordered that the defendant be remanded in Oke Kura correctional service and adjourned the matter till next Tuesday for hearing of his bail application.
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