EFCC arraigns serving House of Representatives member for certificate forgery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today arraigned a

serving member of the House of Representatives, Nse Bassey Ekpenyong

before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo,

Akwa Ibom State on a 9-count charge of forgery and alteration of

documents.



Ekpenyong, representing Oron Federal Constituency in Akwa- Ibom State,

was alleged to have forged an Abia State Polytechnic's Ordinary

National Diploma Certificate and uttered a December 1999's West

African Examination School Certificate, WASSCE and thereby committed

perjury before an Electoral Tribunal where he claimed that the

certificates were genuine.



He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him. In

view of his plea, prosecution counsels Ahmed I. Arogha and S. Hussaini

asked for a trial date and accelerated hearing of the matter.

However, counsel to the defendant, Emmanuel Isangidoho, told the court

that he had filed an application for bail for his client and urged the

court to admit him to bail.



Justice Ojukwu granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10,

000,000.00 (Ten million Naira) with one surety in like sum. The surety

must depose to an affidavit of means, provide 2 recent passports

photograph and 3 years tax clearance certificate.



The surety should write an undertaken to produce the defendant

throughout the trial and all the documents of the surety must be

verified by the Registrar.



Justice Ojukwu also ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison

custody pending the perfection of his bail.



The case has been adjourned to 12, 26 April, and 3, 4 May, 2017 for trial.