Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia, Friday, acquitted a former Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Phillips Nto of N700 million corruption charge levelled against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC.ADVERTISING

The court presided over by Justice Thompson Adiele, held that Dr. Nto was not guilty of the three count charge preferred against him as the prosecution failed to prove its case.

Dr Nto, Consolidated Business Network and its managing Director, lkechukwu Onu, were charged for alleged engagement in corrupt practice through the refund of excess charges on Abia state funds by a new generation bank

Delivering judgement on the matter, Justice Adiele held that the former Commissioner’s signature on the contentious documents were forged.

Accordingly and send to the judge, a hand writing expert had testified in court that letters said to be written by the former Commissioner engaging the consultant and authorising new generation bank to pay them money were forged.

He said the signature expert confirmed that those letters were not signed by Dr Nto and therefore the former Commissioner could not have engaged in corrupt practice.

He also ruled that it could not be proved that the second and third defendants were associates of Dr Phillips Nto.

The court however, ordered that both the second and third defendants should refund the sum of N550m to Abia State Government within 30 days of the judgment.

The court said it was wrong for them to have collected N700m from Keystone Bank only to pay a paltry N150m to Government in the name of Commission.

Speaking with newsmen after the judgment, Dr Nto said he had been vindicated by the court.

He demanded an unreserved apology from ICPC within 48 hours for tarnishing his image in the few years that the case lasted.

The Provost, Abia State College of Education Technical, Arochukwu, said he served the state honestly and diligently as Finance Commissioner, but regretted that some people out of envy decided to collude with ICPC to ruin his reputation.

Counsel to ICPC, Enosa Omoghibo, said that Commission would study the judgement to know the next line of action regarding the apology demanded by the first responded.

He, however, expressed delight that the stolen funds would be refunded by the other accused persons.