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Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC arrests Imo Accountant-General over strange withdrawal of N1.05b

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu Zonal Office, has arrested the Acting Accountant-General of Imo State, Mr. Uzoho Casmir on suspicion of laundering the sum of N1.050billion.

    The cash was allegedly withdrawn in three tranches for vote buying between Tuesday and Thursday.

    But the suspect, who was arrested on Thursday, was in custody as at press time.

    It was gathered that the EFCC is already probing whether or not the cash was mopped up on the order of the governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have intelligence report that cash was withdrawn through a new generation bank for use by the state government.

    “Casmir’s arrest followed intelligence report that the state government intended to use the money for vote buying in favour of a particular candidate in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

    “Intelligence further revealed that Casmir withdrew the amount in three tranches between Tuesday and Thursday this week in the following order; N200million on Tuesday N500million on Wednesday and N350million on Thursday.”

    The source claimed that the EFCC has taken pre-emptive steps to stop further withdrawal from the affected accounts.

    The source added: “The EFCC has blocked the traced accounts, while the arrested Accountant General has been providing useful information to the Commission.

    “Casmir was before his appointment, a Director of Finance in Okorocha’s government and was in 2016 fingered in N2billion bailout fund scam, which was given to the state by the Federal Government for the payment of salary arrears of civil servants.”

    The Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade confirmed the arrest of the Imo State Accountant-General.

    Meanwhile, the EFCC, Benin Zonal Office, has arraigned Bishop Ginika Obi James, Kingsĺey Ibe Francis, Amaka Janet Okafor, Lokwutor Tina and Praise Ochei, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court Asaba, Delta State, on a six-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.

    According to a statement by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade, the defendants were alleged to have fraudulently obtained various sums of money from their victims under the pretence of investing the money in a phony ‘Gideon Foundation Project’.

    The statement said: “The defendants were also alleged to have promised to share 40 per cent dividend from the investment with his victims which turned out to be fake.

    “One of the count reads: ‘That you Ginika Obi James, Kingsĺey Ibe Francis, Amaka Janet Okafor, Lokwutor Tina and Praise Ochei, sometimes in May,2018, in Agbor within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did with intent to defraud conspired with yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtain money by false pretences and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section a (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.’

    “The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them.

    “The prosecution counsel, Moses Arumemi, based on the plea entered by the defendants, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the defendants in prison custody.

    “However, counsel for defendants, Eli Elugwu, told the court that he has filed an application for bail and prayed the court to grant bail to the defendants, arguing that the offence was bailabĺe one.

    “After listening to the submissions of counsels, Justice Dimgba granted the defendants bail.

    “The first defendant, Bishop Ginika Obi, was granted bail in the sum of N500, 000 and one surety in like sum and that the surety must be a civil servant of not less than grade level 10.”

    “However, the four other defendants were granted bail in the sum of N200,000 and a surety in like sum. The surety must be a civil servant of not less than grade level 7.

    “Justice Dimgba adjourned the case to May 7, 2019 for commencement of trial and ordered that the defendants should be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of their bail condition.”

  • Breaking: Supreme Court upholds FG’s seizure of Patience Jonathan’s $8.4m

    The Supreme Court has upheld the order of temporary forfeiture made by a Federal High Court in Lagos in respect of the $8.4million traced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

    In a judgment on Friday, a five-man panel of the court unanimously held that the appeal filed by Mrs. Jonathan, challenging the interim forfeiture, was without merit.

    The court ordered Mrs. Jonathan to go before the Federal High Court to justify her ownership of the money to prevent its permanent forfeiture to the Federal Government.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Anti-graft war: EFCC faults UK agency

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is defending its integrity after the Programme Manager of the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC) Programme of the British Council, Mr. Uche Emmanuel, alleged that it was frustrating the anti-corruption war.

    The EFCC stressed that: *it had been frustrated by the prolonged investigation of former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the United Kingdom;

    • with 314 convictions secured in 2018, it is wrong for the UK to claim that it has been frustrating the anti-corruption war;
    • the collaboration between the U.K government and the EFCC over the years has earned the Commission support in many areas, including donation of equipment and capacity-building from the UK; and
    • some officials of UK security and intelligence agencies are currently operating from EFCC offices in Abuja and Lagos.

    These collaborations could not have been possible if the British Government or its agencies have a negative perception of the Commission’s strategies and decision taking modules, the EFCC said.

    The EFCC made its position known in a statement by its Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Tony Orilade.

    The statement said: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been drawn to a report under the headline: “UK: Nigeria’s Anti-corruption Fights Frustrated by EFCC, Others.”

    “We observe that the report contains several illogicalities, credited to the Programme Manager of the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC) Programme of the British Council, Mr. Uche Emmanuel, which if ignored are capable of misleading both Nigerians and the international community.

    “Without the slightest of attempts to cross-check his claims, Mr. Emmanuel alluded that the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies in the country were frustrating the corruption fight by an alleged lack of synergy among them, and their inclination to operate as islands unto themselves.

    “As a commission, we are horrified that a ranking official of the British Council, in charge of rule of law and anti-corruption programme, who ordinarily should be abreast of the robust interface that exists between the EFCC and various local and international law enforcement organisations is the one we are painfully subjecting to this type of schooling.

    “Fact is that Nigerian anti-corruption agencies collaborate in many ways that Mr. Emmanuel cannot comprehend.

    “Remarkable is that the collaboration between the U.K government and the EFCC over the years, has earned the Commission support in many areas including donation of equipment and capacity-building from the U.K.

    “In a collaboration that is on-going at the moment, officials of U.K security and intelligence agencies are currently operating from EFCC offices in Abuja and Lagos.

    “We strongly believe that these collaborations could not have been possible if the British Government or its agencies have a negative perception of the Commission’s strategies and decision taking modules.

    “Within the global community, the EFCC is acknowledged as the lead anti-graft agency in Nigeria and a model for the rest of Africa. It is not by happenstance that anti-corruption officials from Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Niger and South Sudan come to under-study the EFCC.

    Given the Commission’s track record and the confidence which Nigerians have in it, the agency is daily inundated with cases, which it is struggling to grapple with. These cases run into thousands yearly and make the lumping of the EFCC by British Council or its agent among the fixated in “pursuing one highly exposed person forever” all the more baseless.”

    The EFCC said it has been frustrated by the prolonged investigation of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in the United Kingdom.

    The statement added: “No one with ill-gotten wealth enjoys peace from the Commission. From the undergraduate Yahoo-Yahoo boy who’s combing the Internet for a lonely woman to scam under love pretences to the Politically Exposed Persons, such as former Petroleum Minister, Mrs.  Diezani Alison-Madueke, now a fugitive of the law in the U.K, who looted the public treasury to a horrible measure-we go after all of them with same degree of resolve and tenacity.

    “We are intent on bringing Diezani to justice and despite the spirited efforts of the commission in ensuring that she returns to Nigeria and face trial, she has been held back in the U.K by an investigation that has spanned for almost four years without any signal about when she will be available in Nigeria for prosecution.

    “The EFCC has been frustrated over Diezani, a development that prompted it to seek her extradition to Nigeria, so that she can have her day in court, yet we have a lot more successes to show.”

    Notwithstanding, the EFCC said with 314 convictions secured in 2018, it was wrong for the UK to claim that it had been frustrating the anti-corruption war.

    It said: “Today, the average Nigerian can easily reel out names of ranking former officials of government and their counterparts from the private sector who have been successfully investigated and prosecuted by the Commission, with staggering amounts of money and fixed assets also recovered by the Commission from them.

    “It is important to state that the EFCC secured 314 convictions in 2018 including that of two former state governors who were sentenced to 14 years imprisonment without option of fine, while the commission has recorded about 120 convictions this year already.

    “Just few days ago, the former Chief of Defence Staff, the late Alex Badeh forfeited six choice properties and $1 million to the Federal Government, on the order of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja. It could also be recalled that the EFCC on Friday, March 1, 2019, secured a final forfeiture of the sum N732.85 million being proceeds of fraud perpetuated by 17 individuals in the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office.

    “We wish to further state that in the area of convictions, Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi (retd), was on Thursday, February 28, 2019, jailed for 21 years by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal High Court, Abuja, having been found guilty of the amended three-count charge brought against him by the EFCC. He also forfeited his company, Huzee Nigeria Limited, and N60 million to the Federal Government.

    The EFCC is committed in fulfilling the mandate of the commission within the ambit of the rule of law; we are the hope for Nigeria’s success in the fight against corruption, therefore we should not be distracted.”

  • EFCC charges banker with defrauding general

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned an Ecobank employee, Anieka Udoh, for alleged fraud.

    The commission said he fraudulently converted $60,000 and N9.2million belonging to a customer, Major-General Umaru Mohammed.

    The bank is named as a defendant in the charge before Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The judge ordered Udoh’s remand in prison after he pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge.

    EFCC said the defendants allegedly committed the offence in 2016.

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    The commission said they failed to exercise due diligence in relation to the conduct of financial transactions with General Umaru’s Ecobank MasterCard.

    EFCC said on or about January 28, 2016, a transaction occurred “in the name of Mohammed Umaru without the knowledge and authority of the customer, Mohammed Umaru”.

    The anti-graft agency said the complainant lost $60,000 and N9.5million from the unauthorised transaction.

    EFCC accused the defendants of fraudulently converting the money.

    The alleged offence contravenes Section 7(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, said the prosecution.

    Justice Saidu adjourned until March 12 for hearing of Udoh’s bail application.

  • CBN, EFCC tackle economic crimes

    Officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and their counterparts in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) met yesterday to strenghten fight against economic crimes.

    The meeting, which took place at the Head Office of the CBN in Abuja, provided an opportunity for the two entities to share experiences and peculiar challenges in the fight against economic-related crimes.

    The Director, Corporate Communication of the CBN, Isaac Okorafor, said two agencies adopted strategies aimed at curtailing the unwholesome activities of economic saboteurs which include smuggling of commodities like rice, textile materials, fertilizer, wheat and other items on the prohibition list for accessing foreign exchange through official window, as well as tracking illicit financial flows.

    Other areas which the two agencies are collaborating include anti-money laundry and the monitoring of politically exposed persons in the country.

    The inter-agency meeting, chaired by the Director, Governors’ Department of the CBN, Jeremiah Abue, also agreed to improve the level of information-sharing and surveillance of the financial sector. It would be recalled that the CBN under the auspices of the Bankers’ Committee had said that any individual or corporate body found to complicit in economic crime or attempts to circumvent economic laws and regulations of the country may be barred from operating a bank account in any bank in Nigeria.

  • EFCC warns tribunal judges, lawyers against stolen funds

    Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu Thursday warned judges and lawyers involved in election petition tribunals against money laundering.

    He said they must not allow the influence of money and other inducements to hamper the process and determine the outcome of petitions.

    Magu, in a statement, noted that many judges wrongly see Election Tribunals and Appeal Panels as potential gold mines.

    He said some of them even desperately lobby to be included as members.

    “Consequently, we want to remind all lawyers, judges, elected public officials and members of the wider society not to use the Election Petition Tribunals as conduits for siphoning public funds because there is a huge price to pay for such.

    “The EFCC has the statutory powers to monitor, track, investigate, arrest and prosecute such and other offences.

    “Our Commission shall exercise such powers throughout this election period and beyond in the interest of building a corrupt-free democratic society where probity and accountability are enthroned for good governance.

    “The guiding principle of the EFCC on this matter is simple and straightforward: the right of choice of Nigerian voters is sacrosanct, and justice is not for sale,” Magu said.

    According to Magu, all lawyers and judges at the Tribunals have a responsibility to dispense justice without inducement, fear or favour.

    He said with the international community watching, Nigerians have a patriotic duty to act responsibly, and portray a good image for Nigeria.

    “The principal actors at the Tribunals comprising petitioners, defendants, lawyers and judges have greater roles to play in this than the rest of us.

    “The EFCC wants to strongly state that the rights of Nigerian voters to freely choose their leaders are sacrosanct and that their choice should not be thwarted on the altar of corrupt material inducement by anyone,” Magu said.

    Urging Nigerians to come out enmass to vote tomorrow, Magu said elections are the only way they can collectively build a free, stable and prosperous democratic society for the benefit of all citizens.

    The statement adds: “As a law enforcement agency, our first duty is to advice all parties in the electoral process to abide by all rules and regulations of the electioneering process.

    “This advice is necessary, because, following the conclusion of the elections held last week; the battleground is now shifting to the courtrooms for election litigations.

    “This will be more so when the Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections are held this weekend.

    “In anticipation of the flood of petitions that may be received at the end of the elections, the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has already sworn in the members of the Election Petition Tribunals on 26th January 2019.

    “As the Tribunal members get set to begin handling complaints from aggrieved parties and contestants, millions of Nigerians are placing high expectations on its just and fair outcome.

    “Hence, the EFCC has the responsibility of reminding all those that may be involved in the litigations that the courts are temples of justice where only the facts of the case(s) should determine the outcome.

    “Deploying monetary and other non-monetary externalities will be a fruitless and harmful exercise that must be avoided by all means.

    “Beside contestants, the attention of members of the Bar and Bench, and other stake holders, is hereby drawn to the dangers and perfidy of allowing the corrupting influence of money and other inducements to influence the process and determine the outcome.

    “This is necessary, because, many Judges wrongly see Election Tribunals and Appeal Panels as potential gold mines, desperately lobbied and continue to lobby, to be included as members.

    “Some ‘smart’ judges lobby and salivate to be posted to states, criminally conceived as the juiciest gold mines.

    “This uncontrolled and suicidal temptation of acquiring undue riches overnight is already enticing and trapping a certain number of lawyers and Judges with possible prosecution and certain professional ruin.

    “Therefore, all lawyers, judges, state governors, top government officials, politically-aligned businessmen and other stakeholders should be wary of this undesirable and ignominious fate.

    “The Tribunals should be allowed to operate in accordance with due process, devoid of using illicit monies and means to negatively influence the course of justice.

    “The EFCC possesses ample information on how the perversion of justice with ill-gotten money is initiated, organised and executed by individuals and groups within the political, bureaucratic and judicial systems of the nation.

    “The EFCC also possesses information on how the beneficiaries of corrupt monies receive, hide, transfer and invest the loot at home and abroad in order to conceal their true source.

    “We want to make it clear that, in this day and age of the information technology, international legal instruments and Mutual Legal Assistance between countries across the globe, there is no hiding place for corruption and money laundering no matter how witty or crafty the perpetrators may be.”

    Magu cited an example of a money laundering case that arose from a previous election.

    “After the 2015 elections, a gubernatorial candidate from one of the South-South states hired the services of a lawyer (SAN) to file a petition at the Election Tribunal over the outcome of the election.

    “When he was eventually sworn into office, he paid an astronomical and heart-wrenching N1.4 billion to the lawyer from the coffers of the state for ‘services’ rendered before he became governor.

    “The EFCC was following the money trail and discovered that a large part of the sum was diverted and shared between several accomplices, all of whom are now standing trial at the Federal High Court for violating the provisions of the Money Laundering Act 2011.

    “I conclude by recalling what Chief Robert Clarke, SAN, said recently on the centrality of the judiciary and corruption to our nation’s quest for survival.

    “He said: ‘Corruption has eaten deep everywhere in Nigeria, and if corruption creeps into the judiciary that is the end of the nation.’ This is a warning we must all take very seriously,” Magu said.

  • Alleged N21b diversion: Ex-Air chiefs’ trial begins afresh

    The trial of former Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Adesola Amosu has begun afresh at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    Several witnesses had testified in the case over a two-year period, but the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, was elevated to the Court of Appeal last June.

    The case was subsequently re-assigned to Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Amosu on June 29, 2016 along with former Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Chief of Accounts and Budgeting, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo.

    EFCC said the three, on or about March 5, 2014 in Lagos, conspired to convert N21,467,634,707.43, property of NAF, which sum they reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activities to wit: criminal breach of trust.

    They were alleged to have made several transfers amounting to N21billion to different companies charged with them, such as Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Lebol Oil and Gas Ltd, Trapezites Bureau De Change, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd and Timsegg Investment Ltd.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence which EFCC said contravened Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3).

    Testifying before the new judge yesterday, an EFCC investigator, Tosin Owobo, said the defendants allegedly used their companies to divert some of the funds.

    Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, Owobo told the court that NAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    He said NIMASA paid N3billion paid into the NAF Special Emergency Operation Account domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc in three tranches.

    According to him, the former air chiefs transferred part of the funds to the some “oil and gas” companies.

    He said further investigations revealed that the companies were not into oil and gas businesses.

    “As part of the investigation, we invited the Managing Directors of Right Options Oil & Gas, Judah Oil & Gas and Lebol Oil & Gas Limited, who stated in their statements that they were Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and not oil dealers.

    “They said when the monies were paid into their accounts, they gave the dollar equivalents to the account officers of NAF Special Emergency Operation Account for the second and third defendants.

    “‘They also stated that their companies were registered as oil and gas companies because they were given a high threshold of monies that could be transferred with fewer deductions,” he said.

    Otobo said investigations further revealed that certain money that did not originate from NIMASA was paid from other NAF accounts into the NAF Special Emergency Operation Account.

    The money, he said, was in turn paid into McAllan Oil & Gas Limited, Delfina Oil & Gas Limited and Trapezites BDC to the tune of about N15billion.

    He said investigation revealed how the funds were used to acquire properties in Abuja, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and United Kingdom.

    The trial continues Thursday.

  • EFCC seizes Atiku’s son-in-law’s passport

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law’s Abdullahi Babalele’s passport has been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He is under investigation for alleged laundering of 150million Euro.

    Babalele was released on bail yesterday after undergoing interrogation for about 72 hours.

    He is being investigated alongside Mr. Uyi Giwa-Osagie (an associate of Atiku) who had earlier been arrested by detectives.

    But the anti-graft agency held on to Uyi as at press time because “investigation is still in progress”.

    About €67, 950,000 of the 150m Euro has been traced to the accounts of Osagie, Babalele, two slush firms and two Bureau De Change operators.

    Of the € 67.9m, Uyi’s account received 26,050,00million Euro between January 9th and 28th, 2019. Babalele is expected to account for 41,900,000 Euro.

    An EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Atiku’s son-in-law has been granted bail but with some conditions, including the seizure of his international passport. The high-level investigation on cash-for-poll allegation requires that we should restrict his movement to the country.

    “These conditions will subsist until the ongoing probe is completed.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “Mr. Uyi Giwa-Osagie, who is an associate of Atiku, is still being detained in Lagos. I cannot tell you when he will be released.

    “But we have granted bail to a former Minister of Special Duties, Alh. Tanimu Turaki.”

    The EFCC released more details of transactions involving Osagie.

    A document said: ”On receipt of this intelligence the team booked to Lagos Island market and arrested two BDC operators namely: Abdullahi Shehu who works with Abdullahi Munaciki of Hasbunallahu BDC, Abuja and Lawal A. Abdullahi of Three Brother BDC. Also the team recovered the said $1.6million USD but already $141,000.00 USD had been exchanged to Naira at N358/ per dollar which amounted to N50,500,000.00 while the balance of $1,459.000.00 USD could not easily be exchanged due to the Naira scarcity in the market.

    “Investigation conducted regarding the ownership as well as the source of the money so far revealed that Hasbunallahu BDC who is also the owner of Clean and Integrity Services Ltd received three transfers amounting to $5,000,000.00 USD on the 4th and 14th February, 2019 from Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Limited which is an investment company that is being managed by  Uyiekpan Giwa-Osagie in trust on behalf of xxx.

    ”Investigation carried out on the accounts of Guernsey Trust Company Nig Ltd reveals that various transfers in millions of dollars and cash payments were made to various individuals and companies.”

    The details of these transfers are as follows:

    • On the 1st February, 2019, Abdullahi Munaciki of Hasbunallahu BDC received a transfer of $500,000 USD in his Guaranty Trust Bank Dollar Account Named: Clean & Integrity Services Ltd with Account number: 325/391103/2/1/0. The transfer came from Uyiekpan Giwa-Osagie of Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Limited.
    • And on the 18th January, 2019, Root Capital Ltd received the sum of $1,000,000.00 into its account in Keystone Bank PPC from Guernsey Trust Company Nig Ltd account in Keystone Bank Plc. There after the naira equivalent was paid into Andrew Pitchford account by Spring Creek on behalf of Root Capital Ltd.
    • After that, on 4th February, 2019 another transfer in the sum of $1,500.000.00 USD was received into the said Clean & Integrity Services Ltd account in GTB from the same company Account Guernsey Trust company Nigeria Limited in keystone bank on Instruction of the said Uyiekpan Giwa-Osagie.
    • And the third transfer was made in bulk on 14th February, 2019 in the sum of $3,000,000.00 USD, similarly from Guernsey trust company Nigeria Limited in keystone bank to Clean & Integrity Services Ltd account in GTB.
    • Painstaking investigation conducted on how the said Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd sourced the above mentioned $5,000,000.00 USD showed that the company received into its Keystone bank Euro Account number 1002523061 two Inflows of N13,050.000.00 Euro on 9th January, 2019 and N13.000,000.00 Euro on 28th January,  2019 totaling N26,050,000.00 Euro from one off-show company called  Intels West Africa Limited.
    • Further Investigation has shown that the said Euro inflows were converted to about $30,346,150.12 USD and transferred in tranches of $14,362.500.00 USD, $14,977,194.13 USD, and $1,000,000.00 USD to Guernsey Trust company Nigeria Limited’s Dollar Account number: 1003057653 to Keystone bank between 11th January and 12th February 2019.
    • On the 18thJanuary, 2019 Guernsey Trust Company Nig Ltd paid the sum of $750,000.00 to Bluebeam Capital Ltd, the money was subsequently transferred to BLK Prestige Investment
    • Also on the 29th January, 2019 Guernsey Trust Company  Nig Ltd paid total sum of $2,065,934.00 to Capital filed Investment Group Ltd account in Keystone Bank Plc and the naira equivalent of the said amount in the sum of N856, 569,200.00 was paid in tranches to Andrew Pitchford Ltd account. The company is owned by one Mr. Erhunse Giwa Osagie, a brother to Mr. Uyiekpen Giwa Osagie.
    • Furthermore on the 6th February, 2019, Guernsey Trust Company Nig Ltd paid Bluebeam Capital Ltd the sum of $1,000,000.00 the money was subsequently transferred to BLK Prestige Investment Ltd with UBA Zambia while the naira equivalent was paid into the account of Andrew Pitchford Ltd by Spring Creek Ltd on behalf of Bluebeam capital Ltd.
    • Again on the 11th February 2019, Bluebeam Capital Ltd received the sum of $2,000,000.00 from Guernsey Trust Company Nig Ltd. On the instruction of Mr. Erhunse Giwa Osagie out of which the sum of $1,000,000.00 was transferred to account of BLK Prestige Investment Ltd United Bank for Africa in Zambia while the remaining $1,000,000.00 was converted into naira and paid into Sterling Bank Plc account of Andrew Pitchford Nig Ltd with account number 0689724732.

     

  • I had no dealings with Diezani, says Belgore

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Dele Belgore on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Lagos that he never met or dealt with former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    He said he was not aware that the N450 million he signed for in 2015 came from her.

    Belgore, who was the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation coordinator in Kwara State during the 2015 general elections, was testifying in his trial before Justice Rilwan Aikawa.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged him, former National Planning Minister Prof Abubakar Suleiman and Mrs. Madueke (said to be at large) with money laundering.

    In the nine-count charge, EFCC accused them of making cash payment of N10million to Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr Emmanuel Onucheyo.

    The commission said they also paid N10million to a Commissioner of Police Garba Saliu on March 27, 2015 without going through a financial institution.

    The sums, the commission said, exceeded the amount authorised by law and violated Sections 1(a) and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act of 2012 and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b).

    EFCC said they “directly took possession of the sum N450million,” which they allegedly indirectly spent, adding that they “reasonably ought to have known [that the money] forms part of the proceeds of unlawful act.”

    Belgore and Suleiman pleaded not guilty.

    Read Also: Belgore: How N450m was shared in Kwara

    Two prosecution witnesses had testified that Mrs. Madueke collected N23billion from three oil marketers – Northern Belt Ltd, Actus Integrated Ltd, Midwestern Company and one Mr Leno Laitan, ahead of the 2015 general elections, and that it was part of the money that Belgore signed for.

    But, Belgore, who said he did not know the companies, explained how he came about the N450million.

    “I don’t know any of the said marketers that PW1 claimed provided the money. I never met or dealt with them.

    “PW1 and PW2 (EFCC investigators) said the money was paid out on Diezani’s instructions. I have no information about that. I never met her.

    “I have never spoken with her. I never dealt with or spoken with anybody claiming to be acting on her behalf,” he stressed.

    Belgore said he was made to believe that the money was from the Campaign Organisation and not from another source.

    “On the contrary, we asked the Presidential Campaign headquarters for funds for the election because there were agitations from candidates and stakeholders for funds. We were told there were no funds available, but that a series of fund raising activities had been lined up.

    “I know that funds were indeed raised. I also know that within a very short time, the headquarters called me and said the funds were available.

    “On March 26, 2015, I received a call from the Financial Director of the Campaign Organisation Mrs. Nenadi Usman that the money had been sent.

    “There was no basis, evidence or indication that the money came from any other place other than the Presidential Campaign Headquarters.

    “As a matter of fact, it was during my interrogation in November 2016 that I first heard from PW2 that said funds did not come from the Presidential Campaign Headquarters as I was made to believe.

    “Up until then, no one other than PW1 and PW2 had told me that the N450million did not come from the fundraising activities conducted by the Presidential Campaign Organisation,” Belgore said.

    Two separate video clips from bank CCTV cameras recordings were shown in court.

    They were tendered by Belgore to prove that he did not leave the bank with the money even though he signed for it.

    “I did not see myself in the first and second videos. I could not make out anybody I knew in them,” he said.

    The first clip lasted for about 55 minutes, while the second one lasted for one and a half hours.

    Justice Aikawa adjourned until March 27 and April 10 for continuation of trial.

  • NNPC recovers N771m forfeited assets from marketers

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) has recovered assets worth over N771million from some marketers who had underpaid for petroleum products supplied to them from Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) Kaduna Depot.

    The Chairman of NNPC Anti-Corruption Committee, Mr. Mike Balami, said the committee, in collaboration with Federal Government’s Intelligence and Anti-Corruption agencies such as the Department of State Security Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, recovered the assets from the defaulting marketers.

    A release by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja on Tuesday, said NNPC Anti-Corruption Committee brought in forensic experts to uncover the shady deals by some of the marketers affected.

    Balami disclosed that some of the assets recovered include filling stations, water factories and six sports utility vehicles, adding that the forensic investigation would be extended to the other depots across the country to stop the bleeding of the national oil company.

    He noted that it was established that the affected marketers lifted petroleum products from the PPMC Kaduna depot without evidence of payment and when confronted with the evidence they admitted to the offence and failed to pay their liabilities.

    He said that NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, was passionate about stopping all the leakages in the corporation, stressing that the forfeited assets would be handed over to NNPC Corporate Asset Boarding and Disposal Committee (CABDC) for immediate disposal.

    Balami added that investigation into the lifting of petroleum products without evidence of payment was continuing, urging all relevant stakeholders to support the NNPC Anti-Corruption Committee in its onerous task of recovering all its monies outside NNPC’s system.

    He said that this was the first time that the NNPC would be taking over assets forfeited by marketers who defaulted in their terms of engagement.