Tag: EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sued former Chairman of Ikeja Hotels Plc, Mr. Goodie Ibru for alleged fraudulent conversion of N1,092,228,915.75 said to be property of the hotel.

He was, in addition, alleged to have fraudulently converted 63,084 pounds sterling and $33,976, also said to be property of the hotel.

Mr. Ibru is facing an 11-count charge offence of conspiracy to steal and stealing by fraudulent conversion in the suit before Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of the High Court of Lagos State.
He was charged with three other corporate organisations as defendants – Associated Ventures International Limited, IHL Services Limited and Clearview Investment Limited.

The EFCC, in the first and second charges, alleged that Ibru and other defendants had, between January and December 2010, conspired to steal by fraudulently converting N867,700,990 property of Ikeja Hotels Plc, which sum was allegedly received through Starwood Limited(Managers of Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja) as profit due to the hotel.

In the third count, the anti-graft agency further alleged that the defendants, had between June and October 2010, with intent to defraud, fraudulently converted to personal use, a sum of N55,102,485.50 received through Starwood Limited as profit due to the hotel.

The defendants were also alleged to have, with intent to defraud, fraudulently converted to personal use, various sums received through Starwood Limited as profit due to the hotel: 10,075 pounds sterling and $13,373; N21, 366,013.00; N120,550,661.00; 2,400 Euros; 50,6099 pound sterlings and $20,603 – between January 2010 and February 2015.

EFCC alleged that the defendants also, with intent to defraud, fraudulently converted to personal use N27, 508,766.25 in February 2010, property of Ikeja Hotels Plc, which sum was said to have been received through Clearview Investment Limited as proceeds of the sale of Ikeja Hotels property.

A human rights activist and Managing Director of Panic Alert Security Systems (PASS), George Uboh, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to quiz Sir Emeka Offor, the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDP-PCO), Dr. Ahmadu Alli, and the Campaign Organisation’s Director of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman.

He said they should all be probed over their alleged roles in the handling of the campaign finances of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement in Abuja at the weekend, Uboh accused Usman and the Head of Media of the PDP Presidential Campaign Committee, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode of financial donations in excess of INEC’s monetary support limit for candidates.

Uboh said he has been monitoring a case of unpaid campaign debt against PDP, Ahmadu Alli, and Nenadi Usman by a company, Silon Concepts Limited, through its lawyers, Festus Keyamo Chambers in suit no: FCT/HC/CV/2017/2015.

He queried why Usman refused to use the PDP PCO account to receive and disburse the alleged multi-billion naira for the presidential election funding but made use of Jointrust Dimentions Nig. Ltd, which he alleged as the former minister’s private company.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday interrogated the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Enugu State, Ikeje Asogwa, as part of the ongoing probe of the administration of ex-Governor Sullivan Chime.

The commission has also arraigned two former clerks of National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala, Kano State, before Justice Dije  Aboki of the State High Court, Kano, on a three-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and theft of N3.18m.

According to findings, Asogwa, who arrived at the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja about 10.30am, was being quizzed over allegations on his tenure as the former Managing Director of Enugu State Housing Corporation.

A top source said: “The interrogation of former aides and associates of Sullivan Chime has continued  with the grilling of Ikeje Asogwa, former Managing Director, Enugu State Housing Corporation, and incumbent chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State.

” Asogwa’s invitation followed the discovery that Enugu State funds were allegedly  moved through him ostensibly for housing development, but with no trace of the houses as the funds were  believed to have been diverted.

“His interrogation came a day after Ifeoma Nwobodo, Chime’s ex- Chief of Staff, was grilled for alleged money laundering and misappropriation of funds. She is still in the custody of the agency.”

Meanwhile, the EFCC said it had arraigned one Umar Yusuf and Ibrahim Ahmed Bebeji, both former clerks of National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala, Kano State, before Justice Dije Aboki of the State High Court, Kano, on a three-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and theft.

According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, Yusuf and Bebeji had  “between January and September, 2013 allegedly conspired and fraudulently altered information on official revenue receipts in their custody for services rendered to individuals.”

The statement added: “An audit report carried out by the Hospital Management revealed that, the sum of N3,331,167 (three million, three hundred and thirty one thousand, one hundred and sixty seven naira) was collected as revenue by the accused.

“But the duo declared and paid the sum of N150,314 (one hundred and fifty thousand, three hundred and fourteen naira) to the hospital coffers, while pocketing the sum of N3,180,853 (three million, one hundred and eighty thousand, eight hundred and fifty three naira).

“One of the charges reads: ‘That you, Umar Yusuf and Ibrahim Ahmad Bebeji between January to September, 2013 in Kano within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice, Kano State, while being clerks of National Orthopedic Hospital, Dala, Kano, committed theft of the sum of N3,180,853.00 (three million, one hundred and eighty thousand, eight hundred and fifty three naira only) which was received as part of the revenue accruable to the hospital and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 286 and punishable under Section 289 of the Penal Code.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.

The counsel to the EFCC, Musa Isa, asked the court for a date for hearing sequel to the plea of the accused persons.

However, the defence counsel urged the court to admit the accused persons to bail.

Justice Aboki granted the accused bail with two sureties of not below Grade Level 12.

The sureties must sign a bond of one million naira each. The accused are to be remanded in prison custody until their bail conditions are met.

The case has been adjourned to October 8 for commencement of trial.

Secretariat staff at the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have threatened to report members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.

The workers are also calling for the immediate resignation of the party leaders over alleged corrupt practices, which they said, led to the PDP’s defeat in the last general elections.

The leadership of the party had on Wednesday given the workers notice of a 50 per cent slash in their salaries and allowances.

In the memo signed by the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, the party also gave notice of reducing the workforce by half.

At a protest organised by the workers at the party secretariat yesterday, they specifically called on the EFCC to investigate the party’s Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

The protesting workers accused the party leaders of squandering over N12 billion proceeds realised from the sale of nomination forms for the last general elections.

Mr. Dan Ochu-Baiye, who spoke on behalf of the workers, said: “We call on the anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC, the police and ICPC to beam their searchlight on the nefarious activities of the PDP NWC before they finally take the party to the graveyard”.

Ochu-Baiye said the workers were in possession of incriminating documents on the party leaders and they would not hesitate to avail the anti-graft agencies with the documents.

He continued: “It is curious to observe that a party which once prided itself on being the biggest party in Africa could be so liquidated by such executive recklessness of its NWC members so much that N12billion was squandered in nine months.

“Party members will need to know why delegates were compelled to pay N10,000 each into a private account of a company called Morufi Nigeria Limited. We are aware that over N1 billion was realised from this fraudulent exercise”.

The workers said criminal imposition of unpopular candidates and the extortionist tendencies among the party leaders during the last general elections had brought the PDP to its knees.

They cited the case of N750 million some of the party leaders collected from a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu, to help him secure the Delta State governorship ticket but which they failed to deliver.

“In Kogi State, it is widely alleged that the incumbent Governor was requested to cough up the sum of N1billion to the same NWC members for him to retain his ticket.

“In view of the incontrovertible fact that the current NWC has lost relevance and direction and has proved grossly incompetent of leading the party out of the present quagmire, we demand their immediate resignation”, Ochu-Baiye said.

The aggrieved workers appealed to the party’s Board of Trustees, the National Caucus and other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to invoke the relevant sections of the party’s constitution and call for a meeting of the NEC.

They also demanded that Prof. Oladipo must withdraw the memo conveying the 50 per cent slash in their pay and to adhere to provisions of the establishment manual if the party no longer required their services.

But Oladipo in a reaction  said, “I have met with them severally on the allegation of no meeting between my office and the workers, but you only meet with people based on regulation. They are not members of the NWC.

“They said we should go. How do you tell somebody to go and also say he should withdraw a circular? It is contradictory. You cannot go and at the same time withdraw a circular”.

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the workers’ allegations were “baseless falsehood”, adding that they were only playing out the script they were handed by the opposition APC.

He noted that the party was aware of plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to infiltrate her members and create confusion within the party, using the workers.

Metuh wondered why the protest was coming at a time the PDP has become “a thorn in the flesh” of the ruling APC and its government at the centre.

FOR the second time in a week, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday quizzed the Senate President’s wife, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Saraki.

She was grilled for another five and half hours, making her appearance before EFCC’s crack investigators a cumulative record of 11 hours.

But Mrs. Saraki said the anti-graft agency only had a chat with her and not interrogation.

According to sources, she arrived at the EFCC office at 10a.m and left at 3.35p.m.

Mrs. Saraki’s supporters, including senators, who were with her on Tuesday, were absent.

It was learnt that she spent the day responding to “follow up questions on the statement she wrote on Tuesday”.

A source in the commission said: “We have had preliminary investigation with Mrs. Saraki, but we are yet to conclude our findings.

“We will still do more work on what she said on oath and crosscheck a few things before we can establish whether or not there is a prima facie case against her.

“Certainly, the investigation has not been concluded at all. We will brief the public as appropriate.

 “We may still invite Mrs. Saraki when necessary.”

But Mrs. Saraki said she only had a chat with EFCC investigators and not an interrogation.

The Special Assistant (Print Media) to the Senate President, Mr. Chuks Okocha, who spoke on her behalf, said: “Her chat with the EFCC was concluded on Wednesday and she is cooperating with them.

“Anytime they want her, she will honour the invitation.”

On Tuesday, Mrs. Saraki promised to cooperate with the EFCC and she asked the anti-graft commission to adopt global best practices.

The statement said: “As a citizen with utmost respect for higher standard of democratic accountability, Mrs. Toyin Saraki visited the EFCC at their invitation.

“Mrs. Saraki made herself available to assist the commission wholeheartedly with any lawful enquiries they may have.

“Mrs. Saraki will continue to cooperate with EFCC and she hopes for a prompt and positive resolution in the satisfaction of this enquiry.

“Having placed emphasis on the importance of accountability, transparency and diligent reporting, Mrs. Saraki maintained that she has always operated within the law and to the highest standard of global compliance in all her activities.

“Mrs. Saraki affirmed her willingness to assist the EFCC and expect that the spirit of this enquiry will follow global standard and principles of open democracy, transparency and impartiality that the EFCC and other similar organisations around the world are founded upon.”