The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former member, Kwara State House of Assembly, Oladimeji Edun,  alongside his company, Zarab Ventures Limited, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the High Court of Kwara State on a three-count fraud charge.

In a statement by the Head, Media and Publicity EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren on Tuesday, it said that Edun allegedly secured a contract for his company, Zarab Ventures Limited, for drilling of 43 motorized boreholes across different locations in the state under the Millennium Development Goals Conditional Grant Scheme, to the tune of N82.5 million between 2008 and 2009, but abandoned the projects after collecting 90 percent of the contract sum.

However, Edun pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, Abdallah Faruk urged the court to fix a date for him to present his witnesses. The counsel to the accused, Salman Jawondo asked the court to admit the accused person to bail.

“We humbly urged your Lordship to admit the accused person to bail. He is a responsible citizen; a former honourable member of the Kwara State of Assembly. As a former legislator, he will not do anything to frustrate his trial”, Jawondo pleaded.

Faruk raised no objection, but urged the court for stiff bail conditions considering the nature of the offence committed by the accused person.

Abdulgafar admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of N5million and two sureties, one of whom must be a statutory owner of a parcel of land within Ilorin township.

The case has been adjourned to October 6, 2015 for hearing.