Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Vincent Ogbulafor has been discharged and acquitted of the 16-count charge filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Chief Ogbulafor and Emeka Ebilah were accused of N107m fraud in National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC). Emeka Ebilah however got a five year jail term.
Vincent Ogbulafor, was the Minister of Special Duties and also member of National Economic Intelligence Committee when it was set up in 2001 for the verification and payment of debts owed to local contractors by the Federal Government.
The trial began in 2010 after the ICPC concluded an investigation into a petition written by on Chika Nwadibia. Part of the report of the investigation reads:
“Sometimes in the year 2005, a petition by Chika Nwadibia (the petitioner) against one Emeka Ebilah (the suspect) was sent to the Commission. The petitioner alleged that the suspect used his position as a member/secretary of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC) that was verifying debts owed local contractors by the Federal Government of Nigeria to include the names of his companies and those of his cronies in the verification exercise. That the suspect along with Prince Vincent Ogbulafor who was the Minister for Special Duties (Economic Affairs) that supervised the NEIC and one Boash, the Director of Budget Implementation at the Federal Ministry of Finance conspired to verify fictitious contracts purportedly executed by companies supplied by the suspect and ensured that the Federal Government paid for these contracts. The petitioner also gave the names of the individuals who were used as fronts to collect the monies on behalf of the companies for the suspects and his co-conspirators.”
Chief Ogbulafor was forced to resign as National Chairman of the PDP in following his indictment by the ICPC. Since then, the Abia State born politician has remained silent.
