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Tag: ICPC

  • N6b fraud: Court orders trial-within-trial in Jang’s case

    PLATEAU State High Court sitting in Jos yesterday ordered a trial-within-trial to ascertain if the statement, which the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) obtained from a former cashier of the Government House, Mr Yusuf Pam were voluntary.

    Justice Daniel Longji, who presided over the hearing in Jos yesterday gave the order following the disclosure that ICPC operatives compelled Pam to make written statements under duress.

    Pam is on trial at the State High Court with former Governor David Jang on a 12-count charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged financial crime amounting to over N6 billion.

    EFCC had alleged that Jang, who served as governor between 2007 and 2015, misappropriated the fund two months to the end of his administration in 2015, among others

    The duo had pleaded not guilty to the charges

    When the case came up yesterday, prosecutor Mr Rotimi Jacobs, had called the eighth witness, Mr Taiwo Olorunwoni, an investigator with ICPC, who testified how N2 billion belonging to the Plateau State Medium and Small Scale Enterprise Agency and another N3 billion of the state Universal Basic Education Board  (SUBEB) were withdrawn by  the cashier and taken to Jang

    Jacobs had sought to tender Pam’s written statementas evidence, but his move was objected to by defence counsel Mr Mike Ozekhome, who argued that the statements were not voluntarily obtained as confirmed by Pam, who told the court he was forced to write the statement at gunpoint by ICPC operatives.

    After arguments, prosecution and defence counsel agreed that the court should proceed on a trial-within-trial  to ascertain if the statements were voluntarily obtained by the commission or not.

    Justice Daniel Longji adjourned the case for a trial-within-trial to April 25 and 26

  • N1trn projects: ICPC to probe Senators, Reps

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said senators and members of the House of Representatives who failed to execute constituency projects will be prosecuted.

    Also, all companies engaged for the failed or abandoned projects will face trial.

    But the commission, however, opposed to plea bargain by corrupt elements because the nation’s laws allow it.

    Over N1trillion has been released by the Federal Government for constituency projects since 1999. The funds include the N200 billion by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2017.

    More than 2,345 senators and representatives have benefitted from constituency projects since 1999.

    About 37 per cent to 40 per cent of the projects have either been completed or ongoing in the last 20 years.

    Many senators and representatives were found to have diverted the funds, using their personal companies. Some abandoned the projects.

    Of the 2,516 projects tracked by BudgIT Nigeria between 2015 and 2017, 918 were not done, 395 are ongoing and 214 cannot be located.

    The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, yesterday said the anti-graft commission had demanded a list of all constituency projects and presented budgets to make senators and representatives account for the funds they got.

    Owasanoye, who spoke at the launch of Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG), said ICPC will also publish the names of those behind the project failures.

    Read also: ICPC praises PTAD on fight against scammers

    The tracking will cover outgoing senators and Representatives in the 8th National Assembly.

    He said ICPC was collaborating with the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) to evaluate whether or not the projects executed were commensurate with the budgetary allocations.

    The ICPC chairman said: “We are mindful of the fact that this is a Herculean task as constituency projects dot the entire landscape but we will overcome the challenges one way or another.

    “Where contractors and or politically-exposed persons have diverted funds for projects, we will pursue them to either complete the projects as initiated, return the funds or face prosecution.

    “Affected companies and their directors will also be prosecuted. We also hope to publish the names of those behind the project failures for possible social sanctions in their communities.”

    Owasanoye regretted that constituency projects had been turned into avenues of corruption.

    He added: “Constituency projects are intended for developmental projects, such as provision of water, rural electrification, rural clinics, schools, community centres and bursary for indigent students.

    “In the light of annual budgetary allocations to constituency projects and based on actual releases by the government, it is firmly believed that the impact of constituency projects on the lives of ordinary Nigerians ought to be more visible.

    “Regrettably, available statistics from open sources paint a bleak picture of the level of performance or delivery of constituency projects.

    “Over the years, constituency projects have become enmeshed in controversy among non-state actors, the promoters of the projects and the communities that are supposed to benefit from the projects.

    “The concern is that in Nigeria, rather than address the needs of constituents; many constituency projects have become avenues of corruption.”

    Owasanoye gave some three-year statistics which revealed how senators and Representatives have paid lip service to constituency projects.

    He said: “The level of implementation of constituency projects in 16 focus states for 2015 is revealing. Out of 436 constituency projects for the year that were tracked, 145 were completed, 77 ongoing while 211 were not executed at all.

    “For 2016, out of a total of 852 constituency projects in 20 states in the 2016 Budget that were tracked, 350 were completed, 118 were ongoing, 41 locations not specified in the budget and 343 not done or performed.

    “In 2017, a total of 1,228 constituency projects in the budget were tracked for performance as at June 2018. Out of these, 478 were completed, 173 in unspecified location, 200 ongoing, 13 abandoned and 364 not started. The level of performance of constituency projects is therefore disputable.”

    The ICPC chairman unfolded plans to collaborate with the media and Civil Society Organisations to fight corruption.

    But he warned against reckless whistleblowing and declared that the commission will deal with anyone who misleads it.

    He said: “We hope to have a robust relationship with the media and civil society. Not just in Constituency Project Monitoring and role of CSOs and media as partners in giving credible intelligence and evidence of corruption rather than generalised accusations or allegations of wrongdoing but specifics that help to make investigation seamless.

    “We also want to caution CSOs to avoid misleading ICPC with intelligence that have no foundation in the name of whistleblowing. We have had one or two experiences of reckless and irresponsible allegations of wrongdoing against prominent citizens provided by CSOs.

    “But for the cautious approach of the commission, the outcomes would have been embarrassing. We want to say loud and clear that there will be dire consequences in accordance with the law for anyone that misleads the commission.”

     

  • ICPC praises PTAD on fight against scammers

    The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has commended the Pension Transitional Directorate Arrangement (PTAD) Executive Secretary, Sharon Ikeazor, for creating the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) in the Directorate to tackle scamming and fraud.

    ICPC Executive Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who gave the commendation, said the Commission was impressed with the media campaigns by the Directorate against fraudsters and staff training on early detection of fraudsters and scammers.

    According to a statement by the Directorate, the ICPC chairman gave the commendation when Ikeazor led senior management staff of the Directorate to the Commission on courtesy visit to the new Chairman and Board members to seek for their collaboration on the fight against pension fraudsters.

    The statement reads: “PTAD Executive Secretary used the meeting to update the chairman on the activities of the Directorate and achievements recorded under her leadership.

    “She said the Directorate has concluded verifications for three main operational Departments which include the Police Pension Department; Custom, Immigrations, Prisons Pension Department; and Civil Service Pension Department under the watch of ICPC officials and that the last Department, the Parastatal Pension Department which comprises of over 270 defunct Treasury Funded Agencies will be conducted in April 2019.

    Read also: New ICPC chief pledges to live above board

    “She also used the visit to solicit enhanced collaboration with the Commission, which would facilitate the apprehension and prosecution of the unscrupulous pension phone scammers, whose antics were becoming savvy.

    “She expressed her appreciation to the Commission for the role they played during PTAD staff audit, conducted with the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.”

    The ICPC chairman assured PTAD that the Commission would support the Directorate to sanitise the system and end pension scamming and fraud. He promised to create a desk office that would relate with the Directorate to fast-track apprehension and prosecutions of the offenders, the statement added.

  • New ICPC chief pledges to live above board

    Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, the newly appointed Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), has pledged to live above aboard in the discharge of his responsibilities.

    He made the pledge during his interaction with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Owasanoye, who is the fourth chairman of ICPC, was sworn-in by President Muhammadu Buhari on Feb. 4.

    Until his appointment by the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Aug. 2, 2017, Owasanoye was the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption.

    He replaced Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was redeployed to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

    He said that the chairman and board members of ICPC would not push past their limits, but would live above board.

    “We won’t be the ones frustrating the efforts of the commission.

    “We will provide leadership. We will work within the confines of the law.

    “We will not be ambiguous in our statements and we will be an example to the staff members of the commission.

    “We will also work with integrity, absolutely,” Owasanoye said.

    He added that as chairman of ICPC, he would ensure that staff members were motivated.

    According to him, a mechanism is already put in place to achieve that.

    READ ALSO: ICPC recovers N594b from civil servants

    On divulging information to the public, the chairman said that a provision in the ICPC Act prohibited discussion on issues being investigated.

    “We are only allowed to make a public statements when we have done an arrest and have charged someone to court.

    “Sometimes some of our investigations are jeopardised when you expose them on the pages of newspapers.

    “I appreciate it that the media have a right to know and so every now and then we will let you know measure and steps we are taking.

    “But in terms of specific things about who, what – until we formally arrest the person,  charge them to court, we will not put a name to what we are doing,” he said.

    He further said that coordinating what the new management met on ground was one of the challenges.

    “The commission has been talking on some cases that in my view, could be easily dealt with by other agencies or by other methods.

    This, he said, included civil contract issues and land cases.

    “I do not think we have any business with those issues,” Owasanoye said.

  • ICPC recovers N594b from civil servants

    THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered N594 billion allegedly stolen from government establishments between 2016 and last year.

    According to the Commission, the funds were recovered from ex-civil servants in various Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies (MDAs) across the country.

    Involved in the sharp practice are retired civil servants still drawing salaries and others in the service but collecting double salaries.

    Johnson Oludare, an Assistant Director, Special Initiative on Continuous Audit, broke the news at the North Centre Town Hall meeting organised by the African Center for Media & Information Literacy with the theme:  “Whistleblowing and fight against corruption” in Minna, Niger State.

    HHe said: “The N594,089,136,242 billion were monies recovered from 800 ex-employees that are still collecting salaries and benefits, 400 that are still in active service, but collecting double salaries, while 1200 staff connived with  Micro Finance Banks to steal from various MDA between 2016 and 2018.”

    According to Oludare, recoveries were from two class of individuals namely, the classified political thieves and the unclassified thieves that connived with MDAs, parastatals and agencies to steal public funds.

    The director noted that the anti-graft agency is confronted with a lot of challenges in the discharge of its duties that include lack of legal frame work, adequate funding, lack of public awareness as well as lack of proper organisation of the whistleblowing unit, among others.

    Read also: Alleged ICPC probe: Yar’Adua Foundation denies ownership of property

    Another official of the ICPC, Jimoh Suleiman, urged members of the public to speak out against corrupt practices by individuals in organisations in order to help in the investigation and prosecution of corrupt persons.  He said: “The problem sometimes is that corrupt practices are shrouded in secrecy and brought to the open when things go wrong among those involved.”

    He also called on the public to desist from malicious whistleblowing forwarding only true information to the anti-corruption agency.

    The Niger State Acting Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Yahaya Ibrahim Gbongbo, said the fight against corruption can be achieved through value reorientation of the public.

    “Corruption is responsible for the slow paste of development. That is why as a nation, the Federal Government and the legislature must come up with a strong incorruptible legislation to fight it,” the NOA director said.

  • Alleged ICPC probe: Yar’Adua Foundation denies ownership of property

    The Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation on Wednesday denied ownership of an asset linked with it by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission as part of the seizure of assets worth N N4.8 billion.

    The Director-General of Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Jacqueline W. Farris made the clarification in a statement in Abuja.

    The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper article citing ICPC spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, claiming seizure of property belonging to the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation for tax evasion.

    “Following our request for clarification, the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission has confirmed that their reference is not to the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, RC No. 350618.

    “For the record, the Yar’Adua Foundation owns no property apart from the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre located at One Memorial Drive, Central Business District, Abuja.

    “The Foundation wishes to assure the public that we are in full compliance with all tax regulations and have received our tax certificate for the year 2018 TCC NO: 10459848. “

    The ICPC on Monday said it has moved to seize plots of land and buildings which cumulative value has been put at N4.8 billion from 30 companies operating in Nigeria.

    It listed some assets to be seized as 22.9 hectares of undeveloped land, one plaza, and a block of six two-bedroom flats located in Wuse, Zone One, Abuja belonging to Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua Foundation, Vibrant Issuance Brokers, Millard Fuller Foundation, Maibuhu Farm and Construction Limited, Gabcon Enterprises Limited and a host of others.

    ICPC statement added: “In the course of investigation, the alleged owners of the properties disclaimed ownership.

    “The move to seize the properties spread around Abuja, followed a petition to ICPC by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), accusing the companies of defaulting in tax payment to the tune of N288.2 million.

    “Section 37 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 empowers ICPC to seize assets alleged to be subject of an offence under the law while Section 48 authorizes it to apply to a High Court for an order of forfeiture within 12 months of the date of seizure.”

  • Kano Rerun: Group seeks credible, hitch-free poll

    Few days to the Kano gubernatorial supplementary election, the Centre for Intervention (CFI) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make available all necessary materials needed to ensure credible and hitch-free exercise.

    In a statement signed by CFI Coordinator, Dr. Ibrahim Baba, the group called on INEC to rectify all the anomalies witnessed in the March 11 elections by ensuring that all the materials needed for the rerun election are made available in good time at all the polling units where the rerun will take place.

    “Late arrival of materials and officials to polling unit should be addressed in this rerun more importantly. INEC should ensure that the smart card readers (SCR) are functional because it remains one of the vital aspects of the elections in Nigeria,” the group said.

    READ ALSO: Kano rerun: I‘m sure of victory, says PDP candidate

    The group also called on the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Wakili to ensure neutrality by carrying all parties involved in the election along as to ensure peaceful conduct of the exercise.

    The group lamented perceived bickering between the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Wakili and the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, describing it as unhealthy and uncalled for.

    According to the statement, “we urge the Commissioner of Police to develop much mutual/cordial relationship with the Kano state Governor. The state police Commissioner should cultivate the right attitude to work with the Kano state Governor in order to make sure that the rerun election is free, fair, credible and transparent.”

    They equally urged the supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to play by the rules of the game so as to avoid any action or inaction that can plunge the state into unnecessary violence.

    The group, however, hailed the Chairman of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Bar. Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado for his tireless efforts in fighting the menace of vote-buying, just as the called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to ensure that culprits of vote-buying are prosecuted according to the law.

  • N2.5b DSO contract: ICPC files charges against NBC DG, three others

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ( ICPC ) has filed charges against the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) Is’haq Kawu Modibbo and three others over alleged irregularities in the award of a N2.5billion alleged Digital Switch Over (DSO) contract.

    The others are Dipo Onifade, Sir Lucky Omonuwa and Pinnacle Communications Limited.

    Omonuwa was accused of transferring N537. 25million out of the N2.5billion to a Bureau De Change operator for the dollar equivalent.

    The said dollar equivalent was delivered in cash to Omonuwa at his residence in Kaduna.

    All the suspects will face trial for 12-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    But no date has been fixed for their arraignment.

    The charges, dated January 14, 2019, were however filed by Henry Emore and Adenekan Shogunle.

    The charges read in part: “That you, Is’haq Kawu Modibbo, Sir Lucky Omonuwa and Dipo Onifade sometime between December 2016 and May 2017 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired with each other to use the position of , Is’haq Kawu Modibbo as the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) to confer corrupt advantage on Sir Lucky Omonuwa, your friend and associate by recommending to the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture to approve payment of N2.5billion to Pinnacle Communications Limited, a private company owned by Sir Lucky Omonuwa as seed grant under the DSO of the Federal Government of Nigeria when you knew that the said company was not entitled to receive such grant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) (c ) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    Read Also; Supreme Court refuses to hear 14 pre-election cases

    “That you, Is’haq Kawu Modibbo on or about the 11th May, 2017 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court used your position as the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) to confer corrupt advantage on Sir Lucky Omonuwa, your friend and associate by recommending to the Hon. Minister of Information to approve payment of N2.5billion to Pinnacle Communications Limited, a private company owned by Sir Lucky Omonuwa as seed grant under the DSO of the Federal Government of Nigeria when you knew that the said company was not entitled to receive such grant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    “That you, Is’haq Kawu Modibbo on or about the 11th May, 2017 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly made a statement in a memo dated 11th May 2017 to the Minister of Information and Culture with intent to mislead him in the performance of his duties as supervisor of the disbursement of the sum of N10billion released by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the Digital Switch-Over Programme by recommending the payment of N2.5billion to Pinnacle Communications Limited, a private company owned by Sir Lucky Omonuwa and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 25(1) and punishable under Section 25(1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    “That you, Sir Lucky Omonuwa on or about 2nd June, 2017 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court received the sum of N2.55billion paid into Zenith Bank Plc account No. 1023875804 of Pinnacle Communications Limited by NBC, when you knew that the said sum is the subject of an offence under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    “That you Sir Lucky Omonuwa between June-August 2017 transferred an aggregate sum of N537.25million out of the sum of N2.5billion in the Zenith Bank Plc Account No. 1023875804 operated by Pinnacle Communications Limited to Sadat Investment Limited, a Bureau De Change operator and thereafter took possession of the dollar equivalent of the said sum which was delivered to you in cash at your residence in Kaduna when you knew that the said sum is a direct proceed of criminal activities to wit: conspiracy, false information to a public officer and abuse of office.

    “You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 11(a) and punishable under Section 15( C) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 s amended.”

  • 2019: ICPC to invoke powers to prosecute vote buyers

    The Federal Government is not unrelenting in its promise to hold credible elections next year.

    Its agency – the Independent Corrupt Practices and the Related Offences Commission (ICPC) looked set to invoke its powers to prosecute offenders.

    According to the commission, the prosecution of offenders falls within its powers, though such powers have not been exercised before now.

    ICPC Acting Chairman Musa Usman said anyone caught buying or selling votes during the 2019 general elections would be prosecuted by the commission.

    He spoke at the weekend in Abuja during the Special Anti-Corruption Situation Room session on over-monetisation of electoral process and vote buying, organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) resource Centre and partners.

    Usman, who was represented by the commission’s Deputy Commissioner, Ebenezer Shogunle, said: “Vote buying is not a new development in Nigeria, but it has now assumed a worrisome dimension, which calls for concerted efforts from all stakeholders.

    “Vote buying as captured by the law constitutes an offence, though listed as voter inducement, but that particular law seeks to penalise voter, who sells his vote and not the person who actually does the buying.

    “For us, that is one issue that should be looked into because as a commission, we believed it takes two to tango.

    “Another provision of the law talked about vote buyer but used in a very loose manner, which makes it difficult to be specific on vote buying.

    “The challenge here is that it becomes difficult for those charged with the responsibility of investigating and prosecuting these offences to know where or what to do.

    “The Electoral Act specifically mentioned that INEC has the responsibility of prosecuting offenders, we know that the ICPC Act, gives the commission under Section 6 (1) powers to investigate and prosecute offences under the law and any other law which prohibits bribery and corruption.

    “So, since the issue of vote buying is under bribery and corruption, we belief very strongly that it gives the commission the mandate to intervene.

    “What has happened over the years is that, everybody thinks somebody is doing the job that everybody ought to be doing but at the end of the day, you find out that nobody is doing that job at all because everybody imagined somebody is doing it.”

    Usman said the commission has decided to come outside of its closet and has reached out to INEC and offered to support it in investigating and prosecuting some of these cases.

    HEDA Director Olanrewju Suraj said over-monetisation of the electoral process is eroding the outcome of election and the capacity of emerging leaders to deliver on election promises.

    He said: “For us at HEDA and partners, it is to mobilise active stakeholders in the electoral process of reorientation of players in the election, towards issue-based campaigns such that the electoral process would be focused on outcomes and not just about cash that would be given out on election day.”

  • Senate confirms Owasanoye, eight others as ICPC Chairman, members

    The Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye as Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    Owasanoye, a professor of law and indigene of Ondo, takes over from Ekpo Nta, whose five-year tenure expired in September, 2017.

    With his confirmation, Owasanoye becomes the fourth substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency, succeeding Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola and Nta.

    Confirmed along with the chairman are eight members of the ICPC board, including Grace Chinda from Delta, Okolo Titus (Enugu), Obiora Igwedebia (Anambra) and Olubukola Balgun (Lagos).

    Others are Justice Adamu Bello (Katsina), Hannatu Muhammed (Jigawa), Abdullahi Saidu (Niger) and Yahaya Dauda (Nasarawa).
    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo appointed the board members in August, 2017.

    Thursday’s confirmation came after the Chairman of the Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Sen. Chukwuma Utazi, presented the committee’s report on their screening.

    Presenting the report, Utazi said the nominees were found to possess the integrity, professional competence and experience to discharge their duties in the commission.

    Read Also: Kwara Assembly passes N157.8b 2019 budget into law

    NAN reports that before Utazi presented the report, the Majority Leader, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, observed that there was lopsidedness in the current composition of the 12-member ICPC board.

    Lawan said the North East had no representation yet when it ought to have two members, while the South South so far had only one member as against two.

    He reminded his colleagues of the suspension of the confirmation of four EFCC board nominees over a similar issue on Dec. 11.
    While the North East and South West had two nominees each in the six-member board of the EFCC, the South East and South South were excluded.

    This sparked a protest from senators from the affected zones, prompting the Senate to stand down their confirmation.
    Lawan said while the imbalance in the EFCC board would be corrected, the executive had also assured the Senate leadership of doing same in the ICPC board.

    “The executive arm of government has promised us that they will send the two nominees for the North East, and the remaining one from the South South to complete the full nomination.

    “It is important that we approve the nine nominees here before us so that the ICPC would have a balanced governing board to make it more effective and efficient,” he said.