The Federal Government has given reason for prosecuting the acting Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Lady Azuka Obiageli Azinge, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Documents filed at the tribunal on behalf of the Federal Government by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) showed that Azinge allegedly abused her office. In one of the documents containing an 11-count charge, Azinge was accused of concealing her naira, Euro and dollar domiciliary accounts in Access Bank Plc and Standard Chartered Bank.

She was also accused of receiving allowances, which she knew she was not entitled to as an acting Registrar-General of the CAC. Azinge pleaded not guilty to the offences when she was arraigned on December 23, 2019.

Following the request by her lawyer, Enewa Rita Chris Garuba, CCT Chairman Danladi Umar, in a ruling, granted Azinge bail on self-recognition.

Prosecution lawyer Ibrahim Musa had argued that Azinge be granted a conditional bail, despite her status as a senior civil servant, a position the tribunal overruled.

Further hearing in the matter was adjourned till January 29, 2020.

Part of the charge reads:

“Whilst being a director and serving as Acting Registrar-General at Corporate Affairs Commission and thereby a public officer in the service of the Federal Government of Nigeria on or about April 9, 2019, did make a false declaration of your assets in Form CCB1 Number CACM000713 by omitting and refusing to declare naira account Number 0008595906 maintained with Access Bank Plc, which has been created since 10th of August, 2011 and has since been in operation.

“Whilst being a director and serving as Acting Registrar-General at Corporate Affairs Commission and thereby a public officer in the service of the Federal Government of Nigeria on or about 9th of April, 2019 did make a false declaration of your assets In from CCB1 Number CAC000713 by omitting and refusing to declare domiciliary (Euro, dollar) account Number 0729368706 maintained with Access Bank Plc, which has been created since August, 2011 and has since been in operation…”