Abuja - The EFCC on Tuesday arraigned Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security, Aliyu Gebi, before an Abuja High Court for issuing 13 dud cheques worth N125.5 million in a transaction.
Mr Mohammed Bello, counsel to the EFCC, said that the fake cheque leaflets were issued by Gebi as sole signatory of Craft Technology Ltd as debts payment to Musty Petroleum Ltd.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gebi is standing trial on a 13-count charge.
Bello said that the accused person listed Usman Mustapha as the recipient of the money.
He explained that the cheques were dishonoured when presented within three months as the account of the House read insufficient of funds.
Bello said the accused person thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 (b) (I) of the dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act, 2004 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Mr Babatunde Oyefesu, counsel to the accused person, filed an oral bail application to allow his client ``ample time to prepare his defence’’.
Oyefesu urged the court to grant the application because his client was on administrative bail granted to him by the EFCC.
He further explained that the travel documents of the accused person were in the custody of the anti-graft body, saying ``My Lord, please grant the bail on the self recognition of the accused’’.
``The accused person is a current member of the House of Representatives and in fact the Chairman of the Committee on Internal Security of the House.’’
Justice Abba Mohammed, who presided over the case, granted the accused bail on self-recognition as the prosecutor did not oppose it.
Mohammed also ordered that the travel documents of the applicant should remain in the custody of the EFCC, pending the determination of the case.
Mohammed further held that the accused person must present himself to the anti-graft body whenever his presence was needed.
He adjourned the case to Feb. 19 for trial.
NAN