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Tag: EFCC

  • Fani-Kayode: EFCC investigation revealed no fund missing, says witness

    Fani-Kayode: EFCC investigation revealed no fund missing, says witness

    An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness Wednesday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that the commission’s investigation revealed no fund was missing during the tenure of Femi Fani-Kayode as Aviation Minister.

    Bashir Abdullahi who was the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) made the disclosure under cross examination by defence lawyer Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN).

    He told the Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia that he was assigned the case file in 2008 for investigation and a letter was written to the First Inland Bank to produce Fami-Kayode’s bank statement which was deposited with the EFCC.

    The witness said that during investigations, the former minister was invited to the EFCC, where he made various statements in writing relating to the Aviation Intervention Fund (AIF) received during his tenure.

    He stated that Fani-Kayode on assumption of office set up a committee to probe the disbursement of the AIF made by his predecessor under the AIF.

    He told the court that investigations revealed that no part of the funds was missing during the tenure of the former minister.

    “Our investigations revealed that a total of N19.5 billion was released as Aviation Intervention Fund, out of which a total of N8.5 billion was released during the tenure of Prof. Femi Aborishade, the predecessor of Fani-Kayode.

    “During the tenure of the accused, the sum of N11 billion was released and out of this sum, the accused disbursed a total of N3.8 billion, leaving a remainder of N7.2 billion in the Ministry’s account.

    “Investigations also revealed that no part of the Aviation fund was missing during the tenure of the accused, and there was also no finding that the accused made any disbursement without due process” said Abdullahi.

    Following the findings of the committee, the witness said a report was sent to the National Security Adviser (NSA) on the disbursements.

    However, prosecuting Festus Keyamo did not re-examine the witness but prayed the court for two adjournments to enable him produce his remaining witnesses.

    Subsequently, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourned the case to April 16 and 17 for continuation of trial.

    Fani-Kayode is standing a 40-count charge of money laundering preferred against him by the EFCC, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

    He was alleged to have transacted with funds exceeding the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering Act, without going through a Financial Institution.

    The EFCC alleged that the former minister accepted cash payments in the tune of about N100 million, while he held sway as Minister of Aviation and Minister of Culture and Tourism respectively.

    The offence is said to contravene the provisions of Sections 15(1) (a) (b) (c) (d) and 15 (2) (a) (b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2004.

  • N274m theft: Court fixes trial for June 18

    N274m theft: Court fixes trial for June 18

    A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja will, on June 18, begin the trial of five former employees of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, who were charged with N274 million theft.

    The defendants are Bassey Eyamba, Francis Dajilak, Lazarus Okocha, Barnabas Kolo and Eunice Okafor.

    They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 20-count-charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    EFCC counsel Mr. Anslem Ozioko alleged that the defendants fraudulently obtained money belonging to their employer by renting and selling some plots of land owned by the complex.

    The defendants, who allegedly committed the offences between January, 2009 and December, 2011 in Lagos, pleaded “not guilty” to the 20-count charge.

    Owing to poor electricity supply, their trial could not begin as scheduled and it was postponed to June 18.

  • Ikuforiji’s trial stalled

    Ikuforiji’s trial stalled

    The money laundering case against Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji before a Federal High Court in Lagos was stalled yesterday, as the judge was attending a seminar organised by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

    At the resumed hearing before Justice Ibrahim Buba, prosecuting counsel Godwin Obla (SAN) said he was aware of the seminar and consented to an adjournment.

    Without objecting, defence counsel Wole Olanipekun (SAN) urged the prosecution to produce his remaining witnesses on the next date.

    Olanipekun said: “I do not know how many witnesses my learned friend has left, but if he will produce them on the next adjourned date, we will not mind being the tenant of the court.”

    Justice Buba adjourned the case till today, urging the prosecution to produce its witnesses.

    Ikuforiji and his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 54-count of money laundering, to which they pleaded not guilty.

    They were granted N1 billion bail each with two sureties each.

    EFCC alleges that the duo, between April, 2010 and July, 2011, accepted N273.3 million from the Lagos Assembly without the money going through a financial institution.

    EFCC alleges that Ikuforiji misappropriated N500 million of the Assembly’s funds.

  • EFCC and its 117 convictions

    SIR: In a country where corruption is seen as the norms, a tradition and way of life, no meaningful development can be achieved. Corruption seems to have pervaded every sector of Nigeria system. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC despite all odds, gives hope to Nigerians in its fight against the malaise especially with its recent record of 117 convictions in 2013.

    Despite the numerous challenges faced by the commission in prosecuting cases, the rise in the number of convictions shows that obstacles are surmountable. Of the 533 cases filed within the year, it is worthy of note that the commission was able to secure 117 convictions. This to me is commendable effort.

    However, it is hoped that the commission will not rest on its oars in 2014. It is also expected that they will bite harder by securing more convictions especially of public officials who have looted the country’s commonwealth while holding our nation hostage through corruption. They enjoy their loot from the public’s treasury with their families and generations yet unborn. An instance is that of the son of a governor who was prosecuted by the commission and convicted for money laundering.

    Sadly too, these so called public officials who guzzle the nation’s fund take advantage of some constitutional loopholes to frustrate trials in court. They do not only frustrate trials, they also try all within their power to cripple the anti-graft agencies in an attempt to make them toothless bulldog and a puppet in the hands of the elite class.

    If the truth must be told, the fight against corruption in this country must not be left in the hands of the anti-graft agencies alone. It should be a collective fight. Our laws need to be strengthened in a way that corrupt people will be made to face stiffer penalties. The EFCC Act needs to be amended to make the commission truly independent. The judiciary needs to step up efforts towards ensuring quick dispensation of justice. Above all, against the backdrop of the public saying that EFCC is grossly under-funded, the anti-graft agency should be adequately funded for it to be able to fight corruption to a standstill.

    • Ngozi Alexander

    Maraba, Nassarawa State

  • EFCC urged to expose Owo Medical Centre fraud

    A group, the Concerned National Medical Practitioners of Nigeria CNMPN), has called on the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who are investigating large-scale fraud uncovered at the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, Ondo State, not to relent until all the people behind the scam are exposed and brought to book.

    The group, after praising the operatives of the anti graft agency, said such a move will help in checkmating malfeasance as well as serve as a deterrent to other people in public offices who may want to loot government treasuries to enrich themselves. In a statement by the group’s coordinator and secretary, Dr Donard Litmus and Dr Ebenezer Julius, CNMPN appealed to the commission to leave no stone unturned in the ongoing investigation so as to unravel the mystery behind the fraud, adding that corruption is the bane of development in the country.

    It also urged the EFCC to beam its search-lights on the audit reports of the hospital, saying the development will expose facts on how the frauds were perpetrated in the place. The group said the arrest of a lawyer who came to bribe the operatives of the commission over the issue is a pointer to the fact that the fraud is real and those behind the frauds are desperate to bribe their way out at all costs so as to pervert the course of justice. “We aware of the development going since the commission has been investigating the case of fraud emanated from the Federal Medical Center in Owo and we give kudos to the commission’s operatives for their brave, painstaking and professional tactics used in handling the case so far. We know more facts may be uncovered that may lead to discovery of bigger frauds. As you are intensifying efforts to get to the root of the case, we want whoever indicted or involved in the fraud, no matter how highly placed they may be, be made to face the full wrath of the law,” the group said.

    There was a mild drama at the FMC, as a senior official reportedly went into hiding to escape arrest by the EFCC operatives who stormed the place. It was gathered the operatives stormed the hospital to verify the claims of the hospital over the CTscans and other equipment worth several millions of naira claimed to have been purchased by the management team.

  • Court reserves judgment in suit to halt EFCC directive on lawyer/client financial dealings

    Court reserves judgment in suit to halt EFCC directive on lawyer/client financial dealings

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja will on May 16 deliver judgment in a suit by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seeking to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from enforcing its directive requiring lawyers to reveal certain financial transactions they made for their clients.

    The directive which requires all law firms operating in the country to register with the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), an agency of the EFCC, was informed by increasing cases of lawyers collusion in money laundering cases.

    EFCC had, while justifying its directive, argued that its experience in the investigation of money laundering cases, particularly those involving politicians, revealed that their lawyers, in most cases serve as conduit through which funds are taken out of the country and lodged in coded foreign accounts.

    Justice Kolawole fixed the date for judgment yesterday, after lawyers for the plaintiff and the defendants adopted their final written addresses.

    The NBA, suing through its Registered Trustees, had opposed the EFCC’s directive and sued the Attorney General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The EFCC had categorised law firms as Designated Non-Financial Institutions (DNFI), which must register with SCUML and also comply with existing anti-money laundering regulations.

    In its suit, NBA argued lawyers will not comply with the directive on the ground that it breached lawyers-clients relationship.

    It stated that the CBN had also issued a directive to all banks not to allow law firms, who have not registered with SCUML, to operate their bank accounts.

    The lawyers asked the court to among others, declare the directive illegal.

    They also seek an order of perpetual injunction restraining the CBN and AGF from enforcing their directives to all banks in the country against any lawyer by preventing legal practitioners yet to register with SCUML from operating their bank accounts.

  • Why North is in crisis, by Ribadu

    Why North is in crisis, by Ribadu

    FORMER Economi and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said the security and socio-economic challenges bedeviling the North are a reflection of the dire condition of Nigeria.

    Speaking yesterday at a forum of Northern elders and leaders in Kano, Ribadu blamed failure of leadership, unity and strategic planning as some of the issues responsible for the failure of the region and Nigeria to rise behind their current status.

    Ribadu said: “The story of the North’s deterioration is a replica of Nigeria’s story. Searching solutions to these challenges also means groping for the ropes to a better future for our dear country. I am a believer in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria, under which we are a federating unit with 72 percent of the total landmass and more than half of the population, according to the 2006 headcount.”

    “As such, we have to first situate ourselves within the larger prism of the country. As part of a federal system, the North can legitimately articulate its own philosophy and tools for development as some people within the nation have done,” he said.

    Ribadu noted that “to achieve whatever agenda is for the North, we must first integrate ourselves fully into the Nigerian entity and the world as it is in this 21st century. In this journey we are making, we have to continue to evaluate and from time to time, shake up or shake off practices, norms and dogmas that hinder our progress.”

    The former EFCC chairman added: “Putting this house in order means getting our acts together; it means cleaning ourselves of the quicklime that keep us in a standing position without any movement.”

     

    According to him, the challenges facing the North could be turn into positives if leaders and people of the region decide to draw lessons from the misfortunes and work on solving important questions of development.

    “Yes, we are in difficult times but I see opportunities in our difficulty. A lot of places have gone under such difficulties but with much introspection and self-cleansing, they emerge out of it stronger. Hard time, it is said, is like the washing machine; it twists, turns and knocks you around but it makes you come out clean. Nothing ever goes without teaching us something to learn.”

    On the current insurgency ravaging parts of the North, Ribadu said it is part of a global phenomenon afflicting countries with majority Muslim population such as Afghanistan, Somalia and Pakistan, “however, it is the ability of the constituted authorities to manage it and successfully contain it that differentiate ours from what happens elsewhere.”

    Ribadu added that the escalation of the campaign of violence was due to “having in place incompetent system and institutions that do not take any proactive step. A quality leadership is the one that recognises a problem even before it becomes an emergency. This insurgency therefore thrives due to disaster of a leadership that failed to detect a problem, tackle it and solve it even before it goes out of hand”.

    For an end to challenges facing the North and Nigeria, Ribadu prescribed having “competent and responsible leadership that will unite the people, not polarise the people along ethnic and religious lines”.

     

    He said Nigeria needs “a competent leadership that can have the courage and sincerity to confront our major predicaments head on. Such leadership must also have the audacity to expunge corruption from our system which is responsible for majority of the challenges we are complaining of today.”

     

  • N25.7b theft charge: Atuche loses bid to stay proceedings

    N25.7b theft charge: Atuche loses bid to stay proceedings

    Former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche yesterday lost in his bid to stay proceedings in a N25.7 billion theft charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    A Lagos State High court presided by Justice Lateefat Okunnu, struck out his application.

    Atuche is charged alongside his wife, Elizabeth and a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.

    The EFCC alleged that the offence was committed when Atuche was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank.

    At the resumed hearing, Atuche’s Counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), urged the court to stay proceedings, pending the determination of the appeals by the defendants at the court of Appeal, Lagos Division.

    He said the EFCC had applied for stay of proceedings at the Appeal Court and has also petitioned that the panel of judges be reconstituted.

    “The prosecution had filed a stay of proceedings against our appeal at the Appeal Court.

    “They want the court to stay hearing of our appeal pending the determination of their own appeal against the ruling delivered by the Appeal Court on November 21,2013 at the Supreme Court,” Chief Idigbe said.

    Idigbe accused the EFCC of frustrating Atuche’s appeal at the Appeal Court by seeking a stay of proceedings, demanding the reconstitution of the panel.

    Idigbe said it was, therefore,proper and in the interest of justice, for the court to wait for the decision of the apex court.

    But the EFCC counsel, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the defendants’ application, which he said, was an abuse of court processes.

    He argued that the application for stay of proceedings filed was a ploy to delay proceedings.

    “The law as it stands mandate the court to uphold Section 40 of the EFCC Act,” he submitted.

    Justice Okunnu held that Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) prohibited her from entertaining the application.

    She said Section 40 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act also compelled her not to determine the application.

    According to her, Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that a criminal charge should be concluded quickly.

    “I hereby strike out the application in its entirety,” she said.

    The trial judge, thereafter, adjourned the matter till tomorrow for continuation of trial.

    The Appeal Court also struck out the theft charges preferred against a former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Mr Okey Nwosu by the EFCC.

     

  • Bayelsa denies Alamieyeseigha suit

    Bayelsa denies Alamieyeseigha suit

    Bayelsa State Government yesterday distanced itself from a suit asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release N1.4 billion and $1.3million recovered from former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to it, with interest.

    A statement by Governor Seriake Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the government was not part of the suit filed against EFCC.

    The government also disowned George Uboh, Chief Executive of Panic Alert Security System, who was reported to have filed the matter on behalf of the state..

    “The Bayelsa State Government denies the reports and stated categorically clear that, it did not mandate any individual or firm to act on its behalf to request or institute any suit against the EFCC.

    “We frow at the reports and called on the EFCC and the public to disregard the publications”, the statement said.

    The EFCC has refuted the allegation that it was trading with the money.

    EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said, in a statement yesterday, that “the news reports about a matter said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by George Uboh, ostensibly acting on the instruction of the Bayelsa State Government, is provocative misinformation and very cheap blackmail, to say the very least.

    “The commission wishes to state that it has not been served a copy of the purported processes and therefore cannot comment on a matter, which to all intent and purpose, does not have any known existence beyond the media reports. However, if and when the commission is served, EFCC will give an adequate legal response.

    “The commission seriously doubts that the Bayelsa State Government instructed the said Mr. George Uboh to act on its behalf, contrary to the claim of the busybody.

    “If however they did, then it is most unfortunate, because the highly defamatory allegations he has made ostensibly on their behalf cannot and will not shield Bayelsa State Government and it officials from ongoing investigations.

    If the goal of the purveyors of the reports was to make EFCC stop or soft-pedal in its intensive and extensive investigation of Bayelsa State Government and its officials, they failed woefully

    “The clearly noxious allegations that the commission is not only holding on to recovered funds of the Bayelsa State Government but also “trading with the funds by way of funds placement/fixed deposits” could only have been calculated to impugn the hard-earned credibility of the EFCC.

    “Let it be known that the sensational allegations, wild accusations and imputations contained in the scandalous reports strike at the very heart of EFCC’s values and rules of engagement and will not be allowed to go unanswered.

    “Those pushing this deliberate misinformation for whatever ends should therefore prepare to substantiate them.” Uwujaren said.

     

     

  • Alleged N25.7billion theft: Atuche loses bid to stay proceedings

    Alleged N25.7billion theft: Atuche loses bid to stay proceedings

    Former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche on Monday lost in his bid to stay proceedings in a  N25.7 billion theft charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    A Lagos state High court presided by Justice Lateefat Okunnu struck out his application seeking for a stay of proceedings of his trial by the court.

    Atuche was charged alongside his wife, Elizabeth, for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion from the defunct Bank PHB.

    Charged alongside the couple was a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.

    The EFCC had alleged that the offence was committed during the time Atuche was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank.

    At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, Atuche’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), had urged the court to stay proceedings of the trial pending the determination of the various appeals filed by the defendants and prosecution at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.

    Idigbe said the EFCC had filed an application for stay of proceedings at the appeal court and had also petitioned that the panel of judges should be reconstituted.

    “The prosecution has filed a stay of proceedings against our appeal at the Appeal Court.

    “They want the court to stay hearing of our appeal pending the determination of their own appeal against the ruling delivered by the Appeal Court on November 21,2013 at the Supreme Court”, Chief Idigbe stated.

    In a ruling, the Court of Appeal had struck out the theft charges preferred against a former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Mr  Okey Nwosu by the EFCC.

    Idigbe had also accused the EFCC of frustrating Atuche’s appeal at the Appeal Court by seeking a stay of proceedings and demanding the reconstitution of the panel of judges.

    Idigbe said it was therefore proper and in the interest of justice, for the court to wait for the decision of the apex court.

    But the EFCC counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), had urged the court to dismiss the defendants application which he said was an abuse of court processes.

    Pinheiro argued that the application for stay of proceedings filed by the defendants was a ploy to delay proceedings of the court.

    “The law as it stands mandate the court to uphold Section 40 of the EFCC Act,” he submitted.

    Justice Okunnu, in her ruling, held that Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) prohibited her from entertaining the application.

    Okunnu said Section 40 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act also compelled her not to determine the application.

    According to her, Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that a criminal charge should be concluded in a timely manner.

    “I hereby strike out the application in its entirety,” she said.

    The trial judge thereafter adjourned the matter till tomorrow for continuation of trial.