The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe and Mr. Neka Adogu were on Thursday arraigned before an Abuja High Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged offences bordering on corruption as enshrined in the ICPC Act. They both pleaded not guilty.

Both men were arraigned on four count charge of conspiracy and refusal to release the Post Debit order on all the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Properties Limited respectively. According to court papers both staff of the bank were in receipt of an ICPC order directing them and Access Bank plc to do so but they allegedly reneged thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 28 (10) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

Cited as CR/032/17, the case was instituted by Osuobeni Ekpiwhre Akponimisingh, ICPC Senior Legal Officer, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The charges reads: “That you, Herbert Wigwe (Mr) MD/CEO of Access Bank, sometime in the month of November 2017 or thereabout within the jurisdiction of this honoirable court willfully refused to honor a lawful invitation by the ICPC in respect of refusal to release the Post Debit order on all the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Properties Limited respectively, upon receipt of an order directing you and your bank (Access Bank plc) to do so, you thereby committed an offender contrary to and punishable under Section 28 (10) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

“That you Neka Adogu, (Mr) a staff of Access Bank, sometime in the month of November 2017 or thereabout within the jurisdiction of this honourable court willfully refused to honor a lawful invitation by the ICPC in respect of refusal to release the Post Debit order on all the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Properties Limited respectively, upon receipt of an order directing you and your bank (Access Bank plc) to do so, you thereby committed an offender contrary to and punishable under Section 28 (10) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

“That you Herbert Wigwe (Mr) MD/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Mrs Neka Adogu, a staff of Access Bank, and Access Bank Plc, sometimes in the month of November 2017 or thereabout within the jurisdiction of this honourable court conspired to frustrate investigation activities of the commission (ICPC) by willfully refusing to obey a lawful order dated November 6, 2017, instructing you and your bank (Access Bank Plc) to release the Post Debit order on all the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Properties Limited respectively, and you thereby committed an offender contrary to Section 26 (c) and punishable under Section 15 (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

“That you Herbert Wigwe (Mr.) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc, sometimes in the month of November 2017 or thereabout within the jurisdiction of this honourable court conspired to willfully refused to obey a lawful order dated November 06, 2017, but delivered/recieved on November 07, 2017, instructing you and your bank (Access Bank Plc) to release the Post Debit order on all the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Properties Limited respectively, and you thereby committed an offender contrary to Section 26 (c) and punishable under Section 28 (10) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000”.

Details of the story in subsequent reports