BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Kuje, on Monday, remanded a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, in prison custody.
Prof. Yusuf was remanded after he pleaded not guilty to an amended five-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.
The EFCC alleged that the defendant who was appointed to head the NHIS in August 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, abused his office by conferring undue advantage to himself.
It was alleged that the defendant who was arrested by the EFCC on January 29, approved the purchase of a vehicle at the cost of N49,197,750, against the budgeted sum of N30,000,000.
The EFCC also alleged that as a public officer in the services of NHIS, the defendant, who held a private interest in the corporate entity known as GK Kanki Foundation, without recourse to the due process, awarded a N10.1million contract to the Foundation for purported training of 90 persons, when the actual number of the participants were 45.
He was said to have committed an offence contrary to Section 45 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and punishable under the same section 45 (2) and (3) of the same Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him and his lawyer, Mr. O. I. Habeeb, prayed the court to allow him remain in EFCC custody, pending the determination of his request for bail.
Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu, who declined the request, said the prison was the appropriate place to keep a defendant that has been arraigned in court.
She, therefore, ordered that the defendant should be remanded at Kuje prison till February 12 when his bail will be determined.
It will be recalled that Prof. Yusuf was initially suspended in 2017 by the Health Minister, and later by the Board of the NHIS in 2018, over alleged corruption.
He was subsequently removed as NHIS Executive Secretary in 2019 after he was sent on an administrative leave.
