National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Two Chinese nationals who attempted to bribe the Head, Sokoto Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), were on Friday arraigned before Justice Mohammed Sa’idu Sifawa of the State High Court Sokoto on two- count charges of conspiracy and offering bribe to a public servant to the tune of N100, 000, 000.
The defendants, Meng Wei Kun and Xui Kuoi, were docked for allegedly offering N50 million (part payment) bribe to Mr. Abdullahi Lawal on behalf of a construction company: China Zhonghao Nig. Ltd, which is being investigated over contracts awarded it by the Zamfara State Government between 2012 to 2019.
It was gathered that the EFCC was investigating the construction company in connection with the execution of contracts for the construction of township roads in Gummi, Bukkuyun, Anka and Nassarawa towns of Zamfara State; and also the construction of 168 (One Hundred And Sixty-eight) solar-powered boreholes in the 14 local government areas of the state.
According to the EFCC charges read: “That you Mr. Meng Wei Kun and Mr. Xu Kuoi sometimes in May 2020 at Kasarawa area, Airport Road Sokoto, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice Sokoto State agreed to do an illegal act to wit; bribery and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 59 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law, 2019 and Punishable under Section 60 (2) of the same Law’’.
Also, count two read: ‘’That you Mr. Meng Wei Kun and Mr. Xu Kuoi on the 11th of May 2020 at about 2200 hours at Kasarawa area, Airport Road Sokoto, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice Sokoto State, being staff of China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited, offered a bribe of fifty million naira as inducement to one Abdullahi Lawal a Public Servant (Zonal Head of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Sokoto Zonal Office) in order to compromise an ongoing investigation involving your company with regard to various contracts award/execution in parts of Zamfara State and thereby committed an offence of offering bribe to a Public servant contrary to Section 83 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law, 2019 and Punishable under Section 83 (2) of the same Law’’.
Although the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them,
the prosecution counsel, Musa Mela Gwani who appeared with Habila Jonathan, asked for a date to commence trial and prayed the court for an accelerated hearing.
However, counsel to the defendants, A. A. Usman, told the court that he had filed an application of bail for his clients and urged the court to grant his prayers.
Justice Sifawa, therefore, adjourned the matter to May 18, 2020 for bail hearing and June 15, 2020 for commencement of trial.
It would be recalled that the two Chinese nationals, Mr. Meng Wei Kun and Mr. Xu Koi were arrested on May 11, 2020 for offering a N50 million cash as bribe to the Sokoto state Zonal Head of EFCC, Mr. Abdullahi Lawal.
EFCC had said that the company were being investigated for alleged conspiracy; misappropriation of public funds; embezzlement; official corruption; abuse of office, stealing and money laundering obtained against the Zamfara State government through inflated and uncompleted contracts awarded to the company.
