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Former Nigerian defence chief denies 20 million dollar (£14m) fraud charges

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div><h5><strong>Air Chief Marshall Retd Alex Badeh has been remanded in Kuje prison&comma; in the capital city Abuja&period;  More than &dollar;1m in cash was also reportedly found at one of his homes&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;h5>&NewLine;<p><span style&equals;"color&colon;&num;450808&semi;"><strong>Air Marshall Alex Badeh is accused of using money allocated for the air force to buy a mansion and to build a shopping mall Nigeria’s former chief of defence staff has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud&comma; criminal breach of trust and money laundering<&sol;strong><&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;large&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;small&semi;"> <&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Air Marshall Alex Badeh appeared at the federal high court in the capital&comma; Abuja&comma; where he denied allegations that <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;22&sol;efcc-links-former-defense-chief-badeh-to-n4-4bn-22m-nimasa-fraud&sol;">he used money allocated for Nigeria’s air force <&sol;a>to buy a mansion and a commercial plot of land and to build a shopping mall&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Badeh was appointed Chief Of defence by former President Goodluck Jonathan when the military was coming under sustained criticism over its fight against Boko Haram militants&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;however&comma; the front-line troops complained that they were ill-equipped to fight the militants and discipline in the army was breaking down as soldiers refused to carry out orders&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The prosecution allege that a total of &dollar;2bn &lpar;£1&period;3bn&rpar; meant to buy arms to fight Boko Haram had gone missing&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The former National Security Adviser&comma; Col&lpar;retd&period;&rpar; Sambo Dasuki&comma; was charged in December in connection with the case involving &dollar;68m that is alleged to be missing&period; He was accused of awarding phantom contracts to buy helicopters&comma; fighter jets and ammunition&comma; which he denied&period; He was appointed chief of air staff in 2013 and promoted to chief of defence staff in 2014&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;<i><&sol;i><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;konnie-moments&period;blogspot&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;21-billion-armsgate-ex-air-chief-returns-N66million-330-thousand-dollars&period;html" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">Twelve other senior Nigerian army officers were handed over <&sol;a>to the anti-corruption agency in February for their alleged involvement in the arms scandal&period; <span style&equals;"font-size&colon;large&semi;"><span style&equals;"font-size&colon;small&semi;"><br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;span><&sol;span>Badeh is the latest in a <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;konnie-moments&period;blogspot&period;com&sol;2016&sol;02&sol;dasukigate-21bn-scandal-air-vice&period;html">string of senior figures <&sol;a>who served under the former president Goodluck Jonathan to face graft charges in court&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He was appointed chief of air staff in 2013 and promoted to chief of defence staff in 2014&period; He was sacked along with the heads of the army&comma; navy and air force two months after Jonathan’s successor&comma; Muhammadu Buhari&comma; took office last year&period;<i><br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;i><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h5><img src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;ichef&period;bbci&period;co&period;uk&sol;news&sol;320&sol;cpsprodpb&sol;1651E&sol;production&sol;&lowbar;88622419&lowbar;airchief976lq&period;jpg" alt&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;ichef&period;bbci&period;co&period;uk&sol;news&sol;320&sol;cpsprodpb&sol;1651E&sol;production&sol;&lowbar;88622419&lowbar;airchief976lq&period;jpg" width&equals;"640" height&equals;"360" &sol;><br &sol;>&NewLine;Photo&colon; Getty Images<br &sol;>&NewLine;<b>ALex Badeh Nigeran ex-defence chief&colon; Accused of stealing &dollar;20 million meant for arms purchase<&sol;b><&sol;h5>&NewLine;<p>The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said Badeh and a company in 2013 used the &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;dollar equivalent of the sum of 1&period;1bn naira removed from the accounts of the Nigerian air force to purchase for yourselves a mansion” in Abuja’s upmarket Maitama district&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Among the other nine charges&comma; all of which were denied by Badeh&comma; were allegations that he and the company used the dollar equivalent of 650m naira from air force funds to buy a commercial plot of land&comma; and a further 1&period;2bn naira &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;for the construction of a shopping mall”&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Badeh was remanded in custody until his bail application hearing&comma; which will take place on Thursday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h5><em><strong>Lets us know what you think of this article&period; Like&quest; Dislike&quest; Funny&quest; Interesting&quest; Cool&quest;  Drop us a line in the comment box or join us on facebook and twitter to help us give you a better reading experience<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;h5>&NewLine;

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