By Kenneth Atavti
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Professor David Iornem and two others before Justice P.O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on an amended charge bordering on several offences including certificate racketeering and money laundering.
The eleven-year-old case which began in 2013, commenced de novo due to the elevation of Justice A R. Mohammed (JCA) to the Court of Appeal.
At the hearing of the case recently, the prosecution Counsel, David Nwaze informed the court that the Commission was ready to proceed with the re-arraignment of the Defendants and also commence trial with two witnesses who were present in court.
David Iornem pleaded not guilty to all the twelve count charges read to him while he pleaded the same also for Island Open University Inc. and Commonwealth University Inc., being the 2nd and 3rd Defendants respectively, on counts thirteen and fourteen of the charges.
Count one of the amended charges read: “That you, David Iornem (m) between 1st January to 31st December, 2012 and on various dates thereafter, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, conspired with one Bruce Robert Duncan (m), and other persons at large to obtain money for yourselves by means of an advertisement published by you on the internet in which you offered admission to whosoever would apply to you as a Consultant/Academic Adviser for admission into Commonwealth University Belize which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize, when you knew that the said Commonwealth University Belize is neither accredited nor authorized to operate as a university in Belize and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and Section 1 (1)(a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”