A federal high court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Ishaq Kawu, former director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), of fraud allegations.
Kawu was first arraigned in May 2019 on a 12-count charge alongside Dipo Onifade, Pinnacle Communications Limited, and its former chairman, Lucky Omoluwa.
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) accused the defendants of allegedly paying an N2.5 billion seed grant for the digital switchover (DSO) project to Pinnacle Communications Limited.
The commission charged Kawu with abuse of office, money laundering, and misleading a public officer with the intent to defraud the federal government.
The act reportedly contravenes sections 26 (1) (c) and is punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Although the defendants filed a no-case submission, it was later dismissed by the federal high court and court of appeal.
The defendants, except Omoluwa who died in February 2020, were later re-arraigned on a five-count charge in December 2020.
Folasade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, The presiding judge in her judgment on Thursday, held that ICPC was not able to prove the allegations against the defendants.
The judge discharged the defendants because the statements and evidence of the witnesses couldn’t link any allegation against the defendants.
