A Cross-River born politician who contested for Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) primaries for the House of Representatives in Cross River State, Ericbona Eliom Ushie is currently facing criminal charges before a lagos High Court in Ikeja, the state capital.
Ushie was being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for stealing and fraud among other sundry charges before Honourable Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.
EFCC is pressing thirteen, (13) counts charges bordering on obtaining under false pretense, contrary to section1(1a) and 1 (3) of the advance fee fraud and other related offenses Act, (2006) as amended.
Ushie was accused of stealing contrary to section 280 (1) (b) and punishable under section 287 of Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015.
Count two of the charge sheet reads, “Ericbona Eliom Ushie, sometime in 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud the aggregate sum of N35.397 million property of calibration and non-destructive Services Limited under the pretense that the said Sun was for the purpose of securing award of contract from Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).
The accused who was alleged to have contested the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) House of Representatives’ Primaries in 2023, however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Responding to his plea of not being guilty to the charges brought against him, the prosecutor, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari told the court that the prosecution was going to produce thirteen, (13) witnesses to testify during the actual trial of the case.
The defence counsel Ms C. Orji in her own submission informed the judge that she had filed application for bail and that she had also served the prosecution which the prosecutor confirmed.
Orji pleaded that her client be granted bail since he was presumed innocent until proven guilty adding that he was not a flight risk and would not jump bail.
Justice Abike-Fadipe however turned down the defence counsel’s request for the defendant to be granted bail on self recognition and declared that Ushie be remanded in prison custody till February 22, when the bail application would be ruled on.