How Oduah, others shared N3.9b airports contracts cash

9 min read 1,768 words 6 views

EFCC grills 61 suspects

Director returns N240m

WHO GOT WHAT

* N839, 780,738.09 was remitted to Broadwaters Resources.
The cash was diverted to liquidate a loan.
* N1, 629,250,000 was paid into the account of Global offshore and
Marine Limited out of which about N840m went to Crystal TV Limited.
The signatories to the account of Crystal TV are related to Stella
Oduah
* About N780million was transferred to Tip Top Global Resources Ltd
belonging to the family of a former Secretary to the Government of
the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim. Anyim’s staff were
discovered to be signatories to the account

There is N9.4 billion meant for the installation of security
devices at the 22 airports?

This is the knot the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) is battling to untie.

Its detectives have traced about N3.9billion of the N9.4billion
to a company belonging to a former Minister of Aviation, Sen.
Stella Oduah and five other firms.

The firms are Broadwaters Resources Company Limited; Sobora
International Limited; Global offshore and Marine Limited; Tip Top
Global Resources Limited and Crystal TV .

About 61 suspects have been grilled by the anti-graft agency in
connection with the alleged diversion of the cash.

The EFCC has obtained a court order to impound six dredging
vessels, quarry equipment and some equipment bought for Crystal TV
under the Interim Forfeiture clause in its Act.

The commission has raised a team to interrogate Mrs Oduah, a
senator.

According to a fact-sheet, which was obtained by our
correspondent, Tip Top Global Resources Limited, which is linked
with the family of a former Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, was paid N780million for unknown
services.

The document states: “The contract is for the sum of
N9,443,549,531.25 for the procurement and installation of equipment
in 22 airports. No evidence that due diligence was carried out
before the contract was awarded.

“ This contract was initially awarded to a company called
Cybernetics Limited. Ex- President Goodluck Jonathan approved the
award to Cybernetics and the Bureau of Public Procurement issued a
certificate of no objection. But due to the reduction of the cost
from over N10b

to N9.4b., Cybernetics rejected the award.

“I-SEC, which was supposed to be technical partner to
Cybernetics, was later proposed by the ex-Minister of Aviation for
the contract.

”Out of the contract sum, N3, 911, 887, 753.56 was fraudulently
diverted, misappropriated and laundered through some companies.
Investigators have been able to trace the cash.”

A director of I-SEC is said to have refunded about N240million
to EFCC out of the slush funds traced to him. The EFCC has located
six dredging vessels, quarry equipment and equipment bought for
Crystal TV. An interim forfeiture order has been obtained on these
equipment.

The N3, 911, 887, 753.56 was “paid to other beneficiaries who do
not have direct or indirectly connection to the execution of the
contract.”

“About N839, 780,738.09 was remitted to Broadwaters Resources
Company Limited N839, 780,738.09 which had no relationship with
I-SEC. The cash paid into Broadwaters was later diverted into
another firm called Sobora International Limited to liquidate an
existing loan into First Bank. The shareholders and signatories to
the account are people related to Stella Oduah. Her cousin, who is
a staff in her private company called SEA Petroleum and Gas Limited
was a signatory into the account.

Another N1, 629,250,000 was paid into the account of Global
offshore and Marine Limited out of which about N840m went to
Crystal TV Limited. The shareholders and signatories to the account
of Crystal TV are related to Stella Oduah and the cash was used to
liquidate existing loan by Crystal TV.

“From the same N1.6b, about N780million was transferred to Tip
Top Global Resources Ltd belonging to the family of a former
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius
Anyim where Anyim’s staff were discovered to be signatories to the
account.”

Meanwhile, the EFCC has raised a panel to interrogate Sen.
Oduah, who is scheduled to appear before the team on February
19th.

“We are set for the ex-Minister’s grilling, it is left to her to
keep to the appointment date which she has fixed,” a top source
added.

EFCC said: “Oduah was invited on three occasions to report for
interview on the 13th June, 2017, 29th June 2017 and 13th November
2017 but she failed to honour any of the invitations.

Rather than appear to face a panel that was raised by the EFCC
to interrogate her, Mrs. Oduah, through a letter dated January 5,
2018, informed the commission that she would honour the invite on
January 29, 2018.

“The letter was duly acknowledged by the commission and just as
the investigators were looking forward to her arrival Oduah played
a fast one on the EFCC with another letter indicating that she
would no longer be available on January 29.

“She cited an invitation by the Deputy Senate President, Senator
Ike Ekweremadu, to accompany him to London where he was scheduled
to deliver a lecture at the House of Commons on January 25.

“Oduah stated that her next convenient date to honour your
invitation is 19th February, 2018.”