ICPC operatives re-arraigns prof for certificate racketeering, money laundering

ABUJA, Nigeria — The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Thursday re-arraigned Prof. David Iornem and two organisations on amended charges involving certificate racketeering and money laundering.

Recall that Iornem was accused of defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians by offering fraudulent admissions and certificates through Island Open University Inc. and Commonwealth University Inc., which are also named as co-defendants in the case.

Although the trial initially began in 2013, it was restarted following the elevation of Justice A.R. Mohammed to the Court of Appeal.

The case has now been reassigned to Justice P.O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

ICPC through its spokesperson, Ademola Bakare in a statement revealed that during a recent hearing, the prosecution counsel, David Nwaze, informed the court of the ICPC’s readiness to proceed with the re-arraignment and trial.

He added that two witnesses were present and ready to testify.

Bakare said during the hearing, Iornem pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts against him.

He said the professor also entered a no-guilty plea on behalf of the second and third defendants, Island Open University Inc. and Commonwealth University Inc., for additional counts 13 and 14.

Count one of the amended charges read: “That you, David Iornem,  between 1st January 1 to December 31, 2012 and on various dates thereafter, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, conspired with one Bruce Robert Duncan , and other persons at large to obtain money for yourselves by means of an advertisement published by you on the internet in which you offered admission to whosoever would apply to you as a Consultant/Academic Adviser for admission into Commonwealth University Belize, which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize, when you knew that the said Commonwealth University Belize is neither accredited nor authorised to operate as a university in Belize and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and Section 1 (1)(a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

"On the other hand, count 13 read: “That you, Island Open University Inc, between July to December 2012 and on various dates thereafter retained the benefit of the sum of 11,000 British pounds to acquire a two-bedroom flat at No 9 Offord Close, London, knowing the said sum to be derived from racketeering in the award of academic and honorary degrees of a fake and unaccredited ‘Commonwealth University Belize’ and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) and (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.”

He, however, said the court approved bail with stricter conditions.

The bail bond was raised from N100,000 to N20 million, and the number of sureties increased to two. Additionally, one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below Level 14, while all other original conditions remain unchanged,” the statement added.

In the course of the trial, Bakare said the prosecution counsel, David Nwaze, called the first witness, Mr Chidi Orji, a staff with the ICPC.

He said Orji, in his testimony, informed the court that he was part of the team that investigated the petition written to ICPC by the National Universities Commission.

He emphasised that the petition came at a time when NUC partnered with the ICPC to clamp down on illegal degree-awardinging universities and institutions in the country.

“He further narrated his specific role as an agent provocateur who disguised himself as one seeking a degree for one of his superior’s wards under the pseudo name Jamilu Rabiu Sani and in the process paid the sum of $800 to the 3rd defendant as an application fee and good faith fee.

“He added that it was upon his return to convert the bank teller to the 3rd defendant’s receipt that eventually led to the arrest of a staff of the 3rd defendant in a sting operation, as planned by the investigation team,” Bakare said.