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Tag: Contract scam

  • Alleged N4bn contract scam: It’s all vendetta, says Senator

    Alleged N4bn contract scam: It’s all vendetta, says Senator

    The Senator representing Delta North, Peter Nwaoboshi, yesterday accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of waging a war of vendetta against him over the claim of the anti-graft agency that he failed to execute a N4 billion contract awarded to his firm.

    Senator Nwaoboshi was reacting to reports that a senator is a subject of a massive investigation for not executing N4 billion contract awarded to him by the Government of Delta State.

    The reports further said that the EFCC was also looking into the lawmaker’s 20 accounts in six banks with different signatures.

    It was also reported the senator allegedly used a firm to purchase a 12-storey building in Apapa, Lagos belonging to the Delta State Government at the cost of N805 million.

    It was reported that the records at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) showed that the senator failed to declare all the companies and bank accounts despite being operational prior to the time he made the declaration.

    A source said that the investigation of the senator followed a petition from Delta State.

    The petitioner, the report said, alleged that the senator owns a firm which was awarded a N1,580,000,000 contract by the Direct Labour Agency to supply construction equipment.

    The petitioner also claimed that the senator through his firm allegedly secured  contracts from nine local governments areas in Delta State when the firm was yet to be registered under the Company and Allied Matters Act.

    The petitioner was said to have alleged that the senator used proceeds from the contract to acquire several choice property in Lagos and Delta states, one of which is the 12-storey building  in Apapa, Lagos.

    But Senator Nwaoboshi told reporters in Abuja that the claims of the EFCC were all lies aimed tarnishing his image.

    The lawmaker said that there was no fraud in the execution of a N2.1billion contract awarded his company, Biderberg Enterprises Limited, by the Delta State Government in 2010.

    Nwaoboshi, who is chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDCC), also refuted the claim that he fraudulently acquired a12-storey building belonging to Delta State in Apapa, Lagos in collaboration with his younger brother, Augustine Nwaoboshi.

    He insisted that the whole allegations bordered on vendetta against him by the EFCC based on his recent position and the position of the Senate on the confirmation of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC,, Ibrahim Magu.

    Nwaoboshi said: “Why is the EFCC coming up against me now  over contracts diligently and transparently executed seven years ago by my company, if not for misplaced vendetta that cannot in any way silence me or compromise my principled stance over some salient national issues before the Senate .

    ”Delta State government that awarded the contract is not complaining or any notable stakeholders in the state.

    ”So what interest is the EFCC serving over the matter when nobody from the state had raised any issue bordering on corruption as far as the contract is concerned or the 12-storey building bought in Lagos by one of my companies which was not undervalued as being alleged .

    ”Even the other issue reportedly raised by the EFCC as regards multiple bank accounts by my brother is ridiculous because there is no law in the land that limits the number of bank accounts any individual in the society should have.”.

    The visibly angry senator noted that the signatory to such multiple bank accounts allegedly owned by his junior brother was not his, as being alleged by the EFCC.

    He wondered why “the EFCC rushed to the press to spread falsehood against him without any need to interface with me and my brother as practised worldwide as far as investigation is concerned.

    He said: “No doubt, with what I’ve read in the papers against me from the EFCC, Magu is at it again, but unfortunately for him, this cannot silence me to back out of the Senate’s collective decision against his confirmation and let me add that as a lawyer of 27 years, Magu and his cohorts shall definitely meet me in court”.

  • EFCC clears Soludo of N750m contract scam

    EFCC clears Soludo of N750m contract scam

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Lamorde yesterday said former Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Governor Charles Soludo has been cleared of complicity in the N750m Polymer scandal. Nothing was found against him, he declared.

    He also assured Nigerians that the EFCC will remain neutral throughout the elections.

    Lamorde, however, denied knowledge of any watch-list by the anti-graft commission, as being speculated

    He advised Nigerians to be cautious of the modus operandi of fraudsters in order not to fall victim of their antics.

    Lamorde, who made the clarification while presenting “Red Alert on Scam”, a special publication of the EFCC, in his office, said: “We invited Charles Soludo in respect of the printing of currency notes. From the investigation conducted, we did not find anything Soludo was involved in.

    “Our partners from the United Kingdom (UK) wanted certain information. So, Soludo has been exonerated.”

    Reacting to his clearance, Prof. Soludo was quoted by online medium Premium Times as saying: “I am impressed by the professionalism of the Commission, especially in making the result of its investigation public. In early November last year (2014), I wrote to the Commission, demanding for the outcome of the investigation, and it replied, stating that its investigation did not establish any culpability on my part. I simply put the letter in my file.

    “Well, I always knew that there was nothing to it as far as I was concerned, and I did not know anything about the said allegations. What impresses me is that the Chairman and the Commission have displayed professional integrity by making its findings public, especially in the light of the negative publicity that attended my invitation and interview at the Commission in January 2013. I left office six years ago, and I believe that this is good for Nigeria.”

    On alleged watch-list foisted on the agency by the Presidency, Lamorde said there was no such document.

    He expressed worries over the circulation of a fake letter purportedly from the office of the Chief of Staff to the President directing the Commission to investigate some political figures.

    He said the list was unfounded and unfortunate.

    He said the agency had made up its mind to remain neutral during the electioneering to avoid being accused of bias.

    He said: “They said there is an order to arrest the leadership of the party. We do not want to get involved in any political discussion.

    “We have tried to remain neutral since the campaigns started. Let us do the last lap peacefully.

    “I like to sound a note of warning here that the Commission will no longer tolerate people dropping its name to further their political ends. The EFCC is not a political body and will not allow itself to be dragged into political fray by desperate politicians”, Lamorde warned.

    “The EFCC does not need the prompting of anybody to open investigation against anyone that has violated the law. But it does the nation no good when politicians seek to use the name of the Commission to further their political objectives”.

    The EFCC boss said the prosecution of politicians with cases in court will continue after the poll.

    He said: “Corruption has become an issue in this political campaign. We cannot stop people from talking. The irony of it is that, some of them talking about corruption are standing trial. They are busy playing to the gallery. It is unfortunate. They do not see themselves first.

    “Some of them have no business taking about corruption. They are corruption personified. We want to remind them that they still have their day in court.

    “If the media had been covering these cases in court, these politicians would not have been talking? The criminal justice administration of the country has to be looked at. You cannot fast track criminal cases in court.”

    He asked Nigerians and government agencies to beware of increasing activities of fraudsters including employment racketeers.

    He said: “Many agencies of government are targeted by syndicates of fraudsters who send out false notices of recruitment and go ahead to demand fees from unsuspecting members of the public to process their applications.

    “Another dimension to the scam is for the fraudsters to create a website, purporting to be a portal for employment processing.

    “Such would include a phone number, which the job seeker is told to call. As soon as the job-seekers call, the fraudster begins to make financial demands, requesting the caller to deposit money in a particular bank account.”

     

  • N750m contract scam: Ex-Mint boss kicks against extradition

    N750m contract scam: Ex-Mint boss kicks against extradition

    Aformer Managing Director of Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company (NSPMC),Emmanuel Ehidiamhen Okoyomon yesterday opposed application for his extraction to the United Kingdom (U.K.) by the office of Attorney-General of the Federation.

    The application, which was filed before Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, could not go on because of the preliminary objection raised by the ex-Mint boss.

    But the judge ordered that the accused person be remanded in  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody.

    Okoyomon’s extradition is being sought by the UK government over his alleged role in the bribery scandal involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company (NSPMC) and Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008.

    According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the court has adjourned the case to October 16 for the hearing of the extradition application and preliminary objection.

    The statement read: “When the case was called for mention today, the defence counsel, Alex Iziyon (SAN) told the court that he had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear and decide the matter”.

    Iziyon argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter saying, “there is no extradition treaty between Nigeria and the UK”.

    “We want to be shown where this is in the law. What we have is only protocol not extradition treaty,” he added.

    Responding, the prosecuting counsel, M.S Hassan told the court that he had not been served with the application.

    He urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody, pending the hearing and determination of the application.

    The statement added: “Justice Chukwu, after listening to the submission of both counsel, ordered the defence to get the prosecution duly served with all necessary processes while EFCC should take custody of the accused till the next adjourned date.

    The case has been adjourned to Thursday, October 16,  for hearing.

    The late President Umaru Yar‘Adua had in company with the then CBN Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo launched the new N5, N10 and N50 polymer notes  on September 30, 2009 at the Presidential Villa.

    The circulation of the new bank notes coincided with Nigeria’s 49th Independence Anniversary day celebration.

    But there were allegations of shady deal between some CBN officials and Securency International Pty of Australian.

    The Australian Federal Police (AFP) had already probed the alleged N750million bribe offered by Securency to win the contract.

    Although the contract for the printing of N5, N10, N50 notes were awarded in 2009, the bribery scandal involving Securency was perpetrated in 2006.

  • Contract scam: ‘Ogbulafor not on firms’ board’

    Contract scam: ‘Ogbulafor not on firms’ board’

    An Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission witness, Mr. Basil Momodu, on Monday told an Abuja High Court that Chief Vincent Ogbulafor was not on the board of the three companies allegedly used to siphon N107 million.

    Ogbulafor and Emeka Ebila are being prosecuted by the ICPC on a 16-count charge of alleged involvement in a N170 million contract fraud.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the commission alleged that Ogbulafor, while in office as the Minister of Special Duties in 2001, colluded with Ebila to float three fictitious companies, Chekwas International Nigeria Limited, Henrichko Nigeria Limited and D.H.L. Consultants.

    It also claimed that he used the companies to perpetrate the fraud.

    At the resumed hearing, Momodu, during cross examination by Ogbulafor’s counsel, John Egwuonwu, said that investigations by ICPC did not show that Ogbulafor was a share holder in any of the companies.

    Momodu told the court that Ogbulafor’s companies, Basics Nigeria Limited, Basics Travel Nigeria Limited and All Basics Products Limited, did not benefit from the payments and were not mentioned on the “fake list.”

    He said that it was Ebila (second accused) who told him that he gave the sum of N28 million to one Chief Chris Nwoke, who was a proxy of Ogbulafor.

    The witness also told the court that he was not present when Ebila gave Nwoke the money.