The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC on Thursday arraigned Adeniyi Adeyemi afresh on 22 counts of alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences before an FCT High Court in Abuja over his purported role as director general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council PFIPC.

Adeyemi pleaded not guilty to all the counts. The fresh arraignment followed the striking out of an earlier eight count charge against him by the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 12 after the Federal Government sought to discontinue the proceedings following a review by the Attorney General of the Federation.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation Rotimi Oyedepo had informed the court that the review established that the alleged offences fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court where the police initially filed the case.

The prosecution subsequently filed a fresh 22 count charge before the FCT High Court. In the new charge the ICPC accused Adeyemi of forging a letter dated March 8 2024 purportedly signed by Femi Gbajabiamila Chief of Staff to the President appointing him as director general of the PFIPC.

The commission alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to portray the non existent agency as a legitimate government institution and gain access to government facilities at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase III and administrative processes.

The commission also alleged that he attempted to obtain over 27 billion naira as take off grant for the purported council and 3.8 billion naira for personnel costs by presenting forged documents to the Minister of Finance.

The alleged offences were said to have occurred between 2024 and 2026 and are punishable under provisions of the Penal Code, the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

Following Adeyemi plea, ICPC counsel Fatima Bardi urged the court to fix a date for commencement of trial while defence counsel Ibrahim Angulu made an oral application for bail which the presiding judge Justice Halilu Yusuf directed to be filed formally.