A Federal High Court siting in Abuja, (FCT), has acquitted a UK based Medical Doctor, Reuben Olu Obaro and his wife Mrs Ayodele Obaro (a nurse) charged with diverting funds meant to build and equip hospital in Abuja.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had, in an eight-count charge, accused the couple of misappropriating N186million out of the N450m seed grant given to them under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P) in aid of hospital project.
The ICPC claimed, in the charge marked: CR/92/2018 that the money was granted for the construction and purchase of equipment for the planned Stephen James Stroke Centre of Excellence in the Gudu District of the FCT, Abuja.
However, Justice A. O. Ebong upheld the no-case submission made for the defendants by their lawyer, J. N. Egwuonwuon, because the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case to warrant the defendants being called to enter a defence.
Justice Ebong held that the evidence presented by the prosecution through its five witnesses is so unreliable that no reasonable court of law can convict anybody based on it.
He faulted ICPC’s approach to investigating the case and noted that none of the documentary and oral evidence led by the prosecution supported its claim that the seed grant was strictly for the hospital project. Justice Ebong dismissed the prosecution’s claim that Mrs Obaro purchased a Prado Jeep from the seed grant, noting that the bank statement it tendered revealed that the couple had personal funds in the said account and as such the ICPC cannot safely claim that the vehicle was purchased from the seed grant.