A FORMER Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, has pleaded “not guilty” to a five-count amended charge, bordering on alleged fraud.
Yusuf was arraigned on Monday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kuje, Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Arrested last Wednesday by the EFCC, Yusuf is being accused of using his office to confer undue advantages to himself between 2016 and 2017.
Specifically, the EFCC accused Yusuf of using his position at the time to confer an undue advantage to himself by approving the purchase of a vehicle at the cost of N49,197,750 against the budgeted sum of N30,000,000.
The EFCC also accused Yusuf of retaining a private interest in the corporate entity called GK Kanki Foundation.
The commission also accused Yusuf of awarding a contract in the sum of N10.1 million in favour of the GK Kanki Foundation for the purported training of 90 persons without following due process.
Taking his plea before Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu, the defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
Justice Nwecheonwu however adjourned the case to February 12 and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, pending the hearing of his bail application.
