He pleaded not guilty to a six- count criminal charge that was preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC. The ex-IGP was docked alongside a former Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget, Mr John Obaniyi.
Specifically, the anti-graft agency maintained that its investigations revealed that the accused persons, diverted the sum of N300million out of N557million that was donated to the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, by the Bayelsa State Government when President Goodluck Jonathan was its Governor, adding that the money was traced to a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it had already yielded an interest of N9.8 million.
Observing that the money was donated for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipment, ICPC, equally alleged that the accused persons placed another N200 million out of the money in a fixed deposit account at Intercontinental Bank Plc where it has generated an interest of N6.5 million.
Though Ehindero piloted the affairs of the Nigerian Police between 2005 and 2007, however, the prosecuting agency said the fraud was perpetuated between May and November 2006.
Meanwhile, shortly after the ex-IGP and his alleged accomplice took their plea yesterday, the trial court presided by Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi granted them bail in the sum of N10million each and a surety in like sum, stressing that they must depose to affidavit of means.
The Court ordered that the duo should be remanded in prison custody should they fail to fulfill any of their bail conditions. Besides, the court dismissed as lacking in merit, separate preliminary objections that the accused persons filed through their respective lawyers, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and Mr A. S Odariko.
Ehindero who yesterday begged the court to allow him to go home on self-recognition, had insisted that the ICPC lacked the powers to try him over the alleged offence.
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