EFCC: Medical doctor, lawyer in trouble for offering bribe to anti-graft operatives

The Medical Director of FMC, Akure, DR. Omotosho and his lawyer, Barr. Okowa.
(EFCC)

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State, Dr Olufemi Omotosho and his lawyer, Barr. Ayodele Owoka, have been dragged to by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on charges bordering on conspiracy to offer gratification to a public officer, destroying of evidence and giving of false information.

According to the agency, Owoka was first arrested on February 27, 2014, at the office of the agency in Ikoyi, when he reportedly went to offer a bribe of N1.2 million to a team of operatives investigating a case of contract inflation, abuse of office, stealing, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds leveled against Omotosho.

During his interrogation, the lawyer allegedly confessed that the money was given to him Omotosho to make the team soft pedal on their investigations.

One of the charge reads:

"That you Ayodele Owoka and Dr Olufemi Omotosho on or about the 27th day of February, 2014 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judiciary Division, conspired to commit felony by offering gratification to a public officer to wit: Usman Zakari and the investigating team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in order that they refrain from acting in the exercise of their official duties regarding the investigation of the petition against you for fraud at the Federal Medical Centre Owo."

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and the judge, Justice Lawal Akapo, ordered that they be remanded in EFCC custody and the matter was adjourned to March 12, 2015.