The Lagos State Government on Tuesday arraigned two of its staff over allegation of fraud.
The two staff, Babajide Odekunle and Olugbenga Omolewu of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), were arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrate Court.
The staff were slammed with two-count charge bordering on fraud, falsifying the account of LASIMRA, thereby committing a grave crime punishable under the laws of Lagos.
The first count charge read: “That you, Babajide Odekunle and Olugbenga Omolewu and others now at large between September 2015 and August 2017 in the Ikeja Magisterial District conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit, false accounting, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
The second count charge read: “That you, Babajide Odekunle and Olugbenga Omolewu and others now at large between September 2015 and August 2017 in the Ikeja Magisterial District, being officers in charge of the receipt and management of the Revenue of Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA) did make false statement and return of the said revenue to the Lagos State Government, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 33 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C.17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
After the charges were read to the accused, they pleaded not guilty to the offences and Magistrate Aje Afuwa granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each.
Each of the accused must also produce two sureties each, one of who must be a grade level 15 officer and above in the state civil service, while the other sureties must be their relatives.