EFCC CHARGES STUDENTS TO SHUN CORRUPTION
By Joy Ameh (Benue State Correspondent)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has charged students to join hands with the Commission in fighting corruption for a better tomorrow.
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Alleged N24.6m Fraud: EFCC PRESENTS FIRST WITNESS AGAINST FORMER BENUE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CHAIRMAN, OTHERS
By Joy Ameh (Benue State Correspondent)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Command has presented its first witness in the alleged N24.6m fraud trial involving former chairman of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Professor John Ibu before Justice Abdu Dogo of the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State.
ICPC REPLIES DAILY TRUST NEWSPAPERS OVER REPORT ON CERTIFICATE, AGE SCANDAL
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offices Commission (ICPC) has said its attention has been drawn to what it described as an "inaccurate report" titled “Certificate, Age Scandal Rocks ICPC” published on Monday, 15th November 2021 by the Daily Trust Newspaper.
ICPC PRODUCES 3RD NIGERIAN FEMALE HANDWRITING EXPERT
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has graduated four experts in Handwriting Analysis including a female officer, Kemebradikumo Elizabeth Badejo, who is the third female handwriting expert in the country.
Alleged N8.5bn Fraud: EFCC PRESENTS SEVENTH WITNESS AGAINST EX-NIMASA D-G, AKPOBOLOKEMI, OTHERS
By Sharon Ngozi Nwabiani (Senior Correspondent, in Lagos)
The trial of Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and three others for an alleged N8.5billion fraud before Justice Ayokunle Faaji of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos continued on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presenting its seventh witness.
EFCC ARRAIGNS ACCOUNTANT FOR ALLEGED N19M FRAUD
By Cosmas Enahoro (Edo State Correspondent)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Benin Zonal. Command on Monday, November 8, 2021, arraigned one Emmanuel Eromosele Okojie, on a nine count charge bordering on stealing before Justice A.O. Akpovi of the Delta State High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State.
EFCC RECOVERS N1.3M FOR AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVT
By Valentine Nnamani (Bureau Chief South East, in Enugu)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Command, today Wednesday, November 17, 2021 returned the sum of N1,310,464.58 (One Million, Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira, Four Hundred and Sixty Four Naira, Fifty Eight Kobo ) to the Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State through its Chairman, Mr Leo Nwuba.
Alleged N1.4bn Oil Subsidy Fraud: COURT ADMITS MORE EVIDENCE AGAINST NADABO ENERGY BOSS
By Sharon Ngozi Nwabiani (Senior Correspondent, in Lagos)
The ongoing trial of Abubakar Ali Peters and his company, Nadabo Energy Limited, for an alleged N1.4billion fraud, before Justice C.A. Balogun of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos continued on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, with the Court admitting in evidence all the documents tendered by the prosecution against the defendants.
Abubakar and his company are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, for allegedly using forged documents to obtain N1,464,961,978.24 from the Federal Government as oil subsidy, after allegedly inflating the quantity of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS purportedly imported and supplied by the company.
They pleaded "not guilty" to the charges preferred against them.
The prosecution counsel, S.K. Atteh, had, at the sitting on March 10, 2021, sought to tender correspondences between the EFCC and Petrocam Trading PYT Limited as well as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in relation to the alleged fraud.
He had sought to tender them through the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who is the fifth prosecution witness and the lead investigator.
The defence team, led by E.O. Isiramen, had, however, raised objections to the admissibility of the documents, citing several authorities, including Section 83 of the Evidence Act.
He had argued that the documents sought to be tendered were being brought to the knowledge of the defence, during the pendancy of the trial, several years after the case had already commenced.
"The defence should not be taken by surprise," he had said.
In his response, Atteh had cited several authorities, arguing that, "the difference here is that the documents were not just created by the time they were included as additional proof of evidence".
Delivering ruling today, Justice Balogun dismissed the objections raised by the defence as lacking in merit.
With regard to the correspondence between the EFCC and Petrocam, Justice Balogun held that “The documents sought to be tendered were already in existence before this case was filed.
“Petrocam only gave documents of what already took place to the EFCC; and so, there is no surprise for the defence."
On the objections raised to the admissibility of the correspondence between the EFCC and the CAC, the Judge reminded the defence of its ruling on February 2, 2021 on a similar argument still being canvassed and said: "The Court is still bound by its ruling in relation to certifying officers and payment for certification and shall abide by its earlier ruling. And so, in the circumstance, the objection is overruled."
Thereafter, the letters of investigation activities written by the EFCC to Petrocam and the CAC as well as the responses from the two agencies were admitted in evidence against the defendants as exhibits O4, O5 and O51.
Testifying further, Bawa told the Court that the correspondences were thoroughly studied in the course of investigation.
He also told the court that the correspondences further unearthed several activities embarked upon to defraud the Federal Government in fuel subsidy funds.
He said: “We studied the responses from Petrocam and found out that, contrary to the claim of the defendant that Ashland Energy SA was the supplier, it was Petrocam Trading PYT Limited that supplied about 4,500MT equivalent to about 6.5million litres of PMS as against the claim of about 14,000MT of PMS equivalent to about 19.8million litres purportedly supplied by the defendant.
"The response also confirmed to us that the Letter of Credit (LC) No. SPG/DLC/11/0013 is actually in favour of Petrocam and not Ashland Energy as claimed by the defendant's purported documents.
"We also found out that the daughter vessel, MT St Vanessa, received the product on 2nd December 2011 from a mother vessel, MT Eviridiki, which was contrary to the claim by the defendant that, on the 2nd of December 201, MT Vanessa received the products from MT American Express."
“The correspondence with the CAC”, he said, “confirmed that Abubakar was among the shareholders and directors of the company, and that indeed the company was duly registered.”
In furtherance of the investigation, and a fallout of the correspondence with Petrocam, Bawa said letters of investigation activities were sent to Enterprise Bank Limited, requesting to be furnished with the copies of instruments used for the utilisation of certain funds in the account of the first defendant.
He further said: “The bank received our original letter, acknowledged the copy and accordingly responded to our letter in writing, attaching copies of the requested documents.
"We equally wrote another investigation letter to Skye Bank Plc for copies of the account opening documents and the statement of account of the first defendant.
"The bank duly acknowledged receipt and also responded in writing, attaching all the requested documents as well as Certificate of Identification.
"We studied the statement of account and found out that the said account is the account that received the subsidy payment of more than N1.4billion on 4th April 2012 in favour of the transaction in the matter before this honourable court."
According to him, further analysis indicated that "the entire subsidy payment received was utilised by the defendant, including a huge transfer of N850million to Enterprise Bank, which we found out to be for the liquidation of the LC raised in favour of Petrocam for the actual transaction that took place."
He further testified that “then Spring Bank was approached by the defendant to finance the said importation.
“The bank agreed and raised the Letter of Credit valued at $4.8million In favour of Petrocam."
According to him, investigation showed that the defendant reached out to one Mr. Jide Offor Akpan of International Maritime and Shipping Ltd, who helped to charter MT St Vanessa, adding that “It was the same vessel that received 6.5million litres on 2nd December 2011 from Petrocam based on the LC that was raised.
"We found out that Q & Q Control Services Limited was engaged by the defendant to witness the ship-to-ship transfer of 6.5million litres or about 4,500MT of PMS from MT Eviridiki into MT St Vanessa.
"We also found out that St Vanessa only picked products from MT Eviridiki on 2nd December 2011 of 6.5million litres and discharged the same on behalf of the defendant at Masters Energy depot in Port Harcourt."
According to him, the findings were contrary to the claims in the documents submitted by the defendant to the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).
Thereafter, Atteh sought to tender the correspondences between the EFCC and Enterprise Bank as well as Skye Bank.
However, though Isiramen did not object to the admissibility of the EFCC letters, he objected to the admissibility of the responses from the two banks.
Following the arguments by the defence and prosecution, citing several authorities, Justice Balogun adjourned till December 7, 2021 for "ruling and continuation of trial". NNL.
2020 Edo Guber Polls: EFCC ARRAIGNS MAN FOR ALLEGEDLY DUPING APC OF N70M
By Abubakar Goni (Borno State Correspondent)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Maiduguri Zonal Command, on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, arraigned one Tope Jimi Fagun before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on an a-two count charge of impersonation and obtaining N70, 000,000.00 (Seventy Million Naira) by false pretence.
EFCC TO PARTNER AFIT IN CYBER SECURITY, TRAINING
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, pledged to partner with the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna in the areas of training and cyber security.
EFCC FLAGS-OFF NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, November 15, 2021, flagged off a nationwide risk assessment of Non-profit Organizations. The programme which is a collaborative initiative of the EFCC through the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, and relevant stakeholders in the public and private sectors, according to the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, is meant to determine the vulnerabilities of the organizations to money laundering and terrorism financing.
N450m Fraud: EFCC RE-ARRAIGNS EX-MINISTER, BULAMA, FOUR OTHERS
By Abubakar Goni (Borno State Correspondent)
The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC,), on Monday, November 8, 2021, re-arraigned a former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama before Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu of the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, on a seven-count charge of criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N450 Million (Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira).
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