Tag: declares

Imo State government has declared the ex-sole administrator of Onuimo Local Government, Mr. Jeff Imo and the Managing Director of LUFRANZA Construction Services, Mr. Chike Egbojimba, wanted over an alleged failed road contract.

But Egbojimba denied the allegation, describing the government’s action as an attempt to tarnish his image and reputation.

Government said in a statement by the Chairman of the Task Force Committee on Rural Roads and the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Sir Jude Ejiogu, that the duo were declared wanted, following their refusal to honour the invitations given them by the committee to explain why they allegedly abandoned a contract awarded to them after collecting mobilisation fees.

The statement added that the committee has given the contractor and the former council boss 48 hours to appear before the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command or the Director of the State Security Service, urging the public to assist with information that could aid the arrest of the contractors.

The committee has also directed the following contractors: A.I.L Construction Company, Hyfield and Allied Services, Bontex Construction Company and Wons Engineering Company Limited; who were awarded contracts for the building of rural roads in Ikeduru Local Government, to report to it within 48 hours or be declared wanted.

The committee chairman said the action became necessary to ensure that contractors, who had been paid, did not abandon projects, adding that government would not tolerate abandonment of projects after collecting mobilisation fees.

Egbosimba said there was no reason for the government to declare him wanted because he never abandoned any contract.

He said part of the agreement for the two-kilometre road contract awarded to his firm at the cost of N120million was that he was supposed to be paid N60million per kilometre, but he was not paid, adding that he had completed 1.7 kilometre with asphalt, using the little money initially paid to him.

The managing director said since he started the contract, he had been receiving the money in bit from the former sole administrator, whom he accused of using his company to allegedly defraud the government.

Debunking the allegation that he has gone into hiding, Egbosimba said he has attended the meetings of the committee where he explained his predicament.

There was drama at the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday as Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia declared a witness presented by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as hostile.

The witness, Ojo Agbor, was testifying in the trial of a former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode for alleged money laundering when the prosecutor, Mr Festus Keyamo, applied to the court to declare him a hostile witness.

Keyamo said Agbor’s testimony was totally different from what was in his statement to the EFCC.

The lawyer also alleged that the defence had “coached” the witness on what to say in court.

“He has been coached. That is why he has been running away despite different invitations to testify. We had to write his director to produce him this morning,” Keyamo said.

After the judge declared Agbor a hostile witness, Keyamo accused the witness of deliberately lying to the court.

He also alleged that the witness and Fani-Kayode had communicated through phone prior to yesterday’s proceedings.

“Your phone record will show that you have called the accused person or the accused person has called you,” Keyamo said. The witness replied: “He has not called me.”

Keyamo said: “I want to put it to you that you’re here today to tell deliberate lies,” to which Agbor said “No”.

Keyamo also alleged that Fani-Kayode was giving the witness signals on what to say during proceedings.

When Fani-Kayode turned to gaze at Keyamo in a look of denial, Keyamo said: “The accused person is looking menacingly at me,” adding jovially: “The way he’s looking at me is like we’re dragging one girlfriend.”

The witness said the statement he made to EFCC was not voluntary.

According to him, the commission’s officials asked him to lie, otherwise he would be charged along with Fani-Kayode.

Agbor began his testimony by saying someone else, a property manager, gave him various amounts money to pay into Fani-Kayode’s account. The money, he said, was proceeds of a property sale.

He said he was given N3 million and other amounts by a man he called Kola.

But in his statement to the EFCC, which he read out in court on Keyamo’s prompting, he stated that Fani-Kayode gave him all the money directly.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Agbor said he was “slapped” by an EFCC official and threaten to “co-operate”.

“On 26th November, 2006, some Mopol (mobile police officers) arrested me and took my car key. I asked them ‘Where are you taking me to’?

“One of them landed me a slap and said I was a thief. They took me to EFCC’s office, locked me in a room, and asked me to tell them what I know about Fani-Kayode.

“I told them it was one Mr Kola that gave me the money I deposited into my boss’ account.

“They then told me that I should write that it was Fani-Kayode, who gave me the money to deposit. They threatened to make me an accomplice if I didn’t write that Fani-Kayode gave me the money. My Lord, I had no option than to write,” Agbor said.

The witness said EFCC sent him a letter on April 24, asking him to testify.

“Keyamo told me that I should not change what I said in my statement. I said I was not going to lie,” he said.

During re-examination, Agbor said the officers who arrested him were different from those who took his statement, and that he could not remember their names.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned till June 24 for continuation of trial.