Alleged N5.3m Fraud: ICPC Drags Ex-Foreign Affairs Deputy Director to Court
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has taken former Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Christiana Goka, to court over an alleged misappropriation of N6.3 million.
So, Goka, who also led the Research Monitoring Information System at the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), stood before Justice J.A. Aina at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kwali, Abuja. The charges? Five solid counts of fund misappropriation and false statements.
According to the ICPC, in 2017, Goka allegedly swiped N5,164,656 from money set aside for a management retreat that never happened in Dutse, Jigawa State. Can you imagine? One of the charges states that she conferred this cash advantage on herself, an offense that violates Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
And it doesn’t stop there! She is also accused of lying to an ICPC investigator, claiming she never received N1 million in cash money that, according to reports, was returned to her on the orders of the then-Director General of DTCA, the late Ambassador Abduljalil Suleiman. That’s a big no-no under Section 25(1)(a) of the same law!
Fast-forward to March 27, 2025, when the trial kicks off. The prosecution, led by David Nwaze, wasted no time in calling two witnesses to the stand, both of whom testified and were cross-examined.
Goka, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, the court had already granted her bail under the same terms as her earlier administrative bail. Now, get this: the bail conditions require a surety to be a Federal Government employee ranked Grade Level 15 or above and living in Abuja. Plus, the surety has to present a letter of appointment, proof of promotion, an identity card, and a passport photograph. Strict, much?
With Justice Aina adjourning the case, we must stay tuned to see what happens next. Will the law bring the hammer down, or will she wiggle out of this tight spot?
For now, let’s keep our eyes peeled. Corruption cases like this remind us why accountability matters. And hey, if you love staying updated on these types of legal showdowns, hit that follow button. More gist coming your way!
