By Godwin Tsa
The protracted lockdown arising from the dreaded Corona Virus
scourge seems to be a great dampener of the fight against corrupt
practices but the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
is on course as none of its ongoing investigations and cases in
court would be aborted.
By the time the uncertainties and dark curtain on economic and
other activities by the deadly COVID-19 contagion are eased , the
EFCC, would be among top government agencies waiting to hit the
headlines and airwaves again, owing to the plethora of cases it is
investigating and prosecuting in court. Reports available show
that, the Commission has its hands full of cases awaiting
resolution in court, while some cases being investigated are ripe
enough for prosecution.
One of such cases is the alleged N7.7billion Police Equipment
Fund’s fraud involving Kenny Martins. The EFCC is prosecuting Kenny
Martins, the coordinator of the Police Equipment Fund (PEF),
following his alleged connivance with three others to embezzle
about N7,740,000,000 belonging to the Police Equipment Fund.
It will be recalled that the EFCC had appealed against the
judgment of Justice Mohammed Talba of an FCT High Court, Gudu,
which discharged him and his co-defendants Ibrahim Dumuje, Joni
Icheka and Cosmas Okpara, after he upheld their “no-case
submission” on November 24, 2009.
Dissatisfied with the verdict of the lower court, the EFCC
approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, asking it to set aside the
judgment on the grounds of perverse verdict and miscarriage of
justice.
In its decision over the matter, appellate court had on June 28,
2012, upheld the argument of the EFCC, insisting that its appeal
was meritorious.
The Court of Appeal had further in its landmark judgment read by
Justice Regina Nwodo, held that Justice Talba erred in his
judgement and consequently ordered the Chief Judge of the FCT High
Court to reassign the case to another judge for re-trial.
But as the EFCC was getting set to re-arraign the defendants,
Kenny Martins proceeded to the Supreme Court, asking the apex court
to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court, however, on March 23, 2018, dismissed Kenny
Martins appeal, thus finally giving the green light for the
commencement of his trial. To this end, the EFCC amended the
charges against Martins and other defendants and arraigned them
before Justice Adebiyi on January 15, 2020 for their various
alleged roles in forging Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
documents to facilitate the PEF fraud among other allegations.
Hearing on the case is expected to continue immediately after the
lockdown is relaxed.
Other cases that may come on stream with the imminent easing of
the lockdown order by the government, include such cases involving
Doyin Okupe; Babachir Lawal; Ismaila Mustapha; Chief Fani Kayode;
Senator Gabriel Suswan; Andrew Yakubu, Senator Adeseye Ogunleye;
Ex-governor Ibrahim Shekarau; Former First Lady Patience Jonathan;
Air Marshall Adeola Amosu; Senator Jonah Jang, Senator Seidu Kumo
and Ibrahim Shema, among many others.
Dr Doyin Okupe, former aide of Ex President Goodluck Jonathan.
Okupe is billed to continue his defence in May, 2020. He was given
permission to travel for health reasons. The former presidential
aide is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside his two companies:
Value Trust Investments and Abrahams Telecoms on a 59-count charge
bordering on money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to
the tune of N702,000,000 Others are Babachir Lawal, former
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, who was
arraigned for benefiting illegally from the approval of
N544,119,925.36, for the removal of invasive plant species and
simplified irrigation. His trial was adjourned to April 10, 2020,
but could not hold as a result of COVID-19.
Social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha (Mompha) and his
company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, were re-arraigned
before a Federal High Court, Lagos. The EFCC re-arraigned him on
second amended charge of 22 counts bordering on money laundering
before Justice Mohammed Liman. Mompha and his company were first
arraigned sometimes in November 2019 on a 14 count-count charge of
the offence.
In the new amended charge, EFCC alleged that Mompha procured his
company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited to retain the sum of
N33.006,026,806 billion between 2015 and 2018. The case is still
ongoing.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation is
currently standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for
Finance, Mrs. Esther Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a company,
John Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited before Justice Mohammed
Aikawa of a Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged N4.6
billion fraud. They were re-arraigned before the court on May 15,
2017, by the EFCC on a 17-count charge bordering on the alleged
offence.
Their re-arraignment came two months after another judge of the
court, Justice Muslim Sule Hassan, recused himself from the case.
At the last hearing of the matter on 11th June, 2018, EFCC’s
lawyer, Idris Mohammed informed the judge that his third witness
was indisposed and as such he would not be able to continue. He,
however, sought an adjournment.
Senator Gabriel Suswam , a former Benue State State Governor and
others are standing trial in three cases pending before the Federal
High Courts Abuja. The latest is a three-count charge of money
laundering and illegal possession of firearms on which he was
arraigned on July 6, 2018 before Justice Mohammed Ahmed.
Proceedings are expected to resume on October 24. In the first
of the other two cases, Suswam is being tried with a former
Commissioner of Finance in Benue State, Omadachi Oklobia. They are
accused of diverting proceeds of the sale of Benue State’s
investments in some companies.
The case is pending before Justice Ahmed Mohammed and has been
adjourned to October 9 for continuation of trial. Suswam, Okolobia
and Mrs. Janet Anuga, in the second charge FHC/ABJ/CR/48/2017, were
accused of diverting funds meant for SURE-P projects in the
State.
The case was pending before Justice Gabriel Kolawole before the
judge’s elevation to the Court of Appeal. The case is expected to
be reassigned to a new judge at the resumption of the court.
Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, former SSA to Ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, is currently on trial alongside,
Iwejuo Joseph Nna, before a Federal High Court in Lagos. He was
docked on June 11, 2018 before Justice Mohammed Idris over alleged
N1.6 billion fraud.
The former presidential aide alongside his accomplice were
arraigned on a 23-count charge of conspiracy to conceal proceeds of
crime amounting to N1.6 Billion. In the charge, the EFCC alleged
that the two accused persons, between June 2013 and June 2015, used
different companies to fraudulently launder the said money. Some of
the companies the anti-graft agency claimed were used to launder
the money include; Seagate Property Development & Investment Ltd;
Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd and Pluto Property
and Investment Company Ltd.
Others are: Rotate Interlink Services Ltd; Ibejige Services Ltd;
DeJakes Fast Food &
Restaurant Nigeria Ltd and Ebiwise Andrew Yakubu, a former Group
Managing Director, GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, was arraigned by the EFCC, on Thursday, March
16, 2017 before Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court,
Abuja on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering,
non-disclosure of assets and fraud. Yakubu’s journey to the dock
started on February 3, 2017, when operatives of the EFCC stormed a
building belonging to the former NNPC boss and recovered a
staggering sum of $9,772,000 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and
Seventy-Two Thousand United States Dollars) and £74,000 (Seventy-
Four Thousand Pound Sterling) cash stashed in a huge fire proof
safe.
Following the raid, Yakubu on February 8, 2017 reported to the
Commission’s Kano Zonal Office where he admitted being the owner of
both the house and the money recovered. The offence breaches
Section 7(4)(b)(ii) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related
Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 7 (5) of the same
Act. A Federal High Court sitting in Kano presided over by Justice
Zainab B. Abubakar on February 14, 2017 ordered the forfeiture of
the money recovered from Yakubu to the Federal Government. The
order was sequel to an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking an
interim forfeiture of the sum.
Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, a Former Minister of Works and former
Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
Ogun State was arraigned on November 25, 2016 by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC). In a case with suit No.
AB/EFCC/03/16, Ogunlewe alongside the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB,
Prof. Olusola Oyewole; and the Bursar of the institution, Mr. Moses
Ilesanmi were arraigned before the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta,
on 18 counts, bordering on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by
false pretences and abuse of office in connection with an alleged
N409 million fraud. The court later sat on the case in January 26,
2017 before Justice
Olatokunbo Majekodumi of an Abeokuta High Court where Ogunlewe
requested that his name be removed from the corruption case. Wale
Adesokan, counsel to Mr. Ogunlewe, had brought an application
seeking to quash his client’s name from the case, saying the court
has no jurisdiction to hear the case.
Senator Ibrahim Shekarau was arraigned in May 2018, by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Federal High Court
sitting in Kano over alleged money laundering offence. Shekarau,
together with Bashir Wali and Mansur Ahmad, are facing six counts
charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of
N950m. Lawyer to the EFCC, Mr. Johnson Ojogbane, told the court
that the defendants had, between March 26 and 27, 2015 in Kano,
conspired between themselves and received various sums of money
without going through financial institutions.
In one of the several money laundering cases against former
First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan , the EFCC had filed a 15-count
charge against her companies and Dudafa, Amajuoyi Briggs, a lawyer;
and Damola Bolodeoku, a Skye Bank official. After the charges were
read to the accused, the first, second and third accused pleaded
not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, the four individuals representing the companies
listed in the charge, each pleaded guilty to the offences. Four
companies were linked to the alleged money laundering case
involving the former First Lady and she pleaded guilty to the
offence.
Like all the foregoing cases, the matter involving the former
First Lady has yet to be resolved. So also are all other pending
cases at different levels of our court system.
But the EFCC says that it is determined to follow all the cases
to a logical conclusion, notwithstanding the hiccup in their trial
as a result of the dreaded Covid-19 contagion. Speaking on the
issue, the Acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, disclosed
that all the pending investigations and cases would be followed up
diligently and justice would be served in all of them without fear
or favour.
According to Magu, the EFCC will live up to expectations and
ensure that the right things are done, for a better tomorrow.
Culled from Sun
By Godwin Tsa
The protracted lockdown arising from the dreaded Corona Virus
scourge seems to be a great dampener of the fight against corrupt
practices but the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
is on course as none of its ongoing investigations and cases in
court would be aborted.
By the time the uncertainties and dark curtain on economic and
other activities by the deadly COVID-19 contagion are eased , the
EFCC, would be among top government agencies waiting to hit the
headlines and airwaves again, owing to the plethora of cases it is
investigating and prosecuting in court. Reports available show
that, the Commission has its hands full of cases awaiting
resolution in court, while some cases being investigated are ripe
enough for prosecution.
One of such cases is the alleged N7.7billion Police Equipment
Fund’s fraud involving Kenny Martins. The EFCC is prosecuting Kenny
Martins, the coordinator of the Police Equipment Fund (PEF),
following his alleged connivance with three others to embezzle
about N7,740,000,000 belonging to the Police Equipment Fund.
It will be recalled that the EFCC had appealed against the
judgment of Justice Mohammed Talba of an FCT High Court, Gudu,
which discharged him and his co-defendants Ibrahim Dumuje, Joni
Icheka and Cosmas Okpara, after he upheld their “no-case
submission” on November 24, 2009.
Dissatisfied with the verdict of the lower court, the EFCC
approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, asking it to set aside the
judgment on the grounds of perverse verdict and miscarriage of
justice.
In its decision over the matter, appellate court had on June 28,
2012, upheld the argument of the EFCC, insisting that its appeal
was meritorious.
The Court of Appeal had further in its landmark judgment read by
Justice Regina Nwodo, held that Justice Talba erred in his
judgement and consequently ordered the Chief Judge of the FCT High
Court to reassign the case to another judge for re-trial.
But as the EFCC was getting set to re-arraign the defendants,
Kenny Martins proceeded to the Supreme Court, asking the apex court
to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court, however, on March 23, 2018, dismissed Kenny
Martins appeal, thus finally giving the green light for the
commencement of his trial. To this end, the EFCC amended the
charges against Martins and other defendants and arraigned them
before Justice Adebiyi on January 15, 2020 for their various
alleged roles in forging Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
documents to facilitate the PEF fraud among other allegations.
Hearing on the case is expected to continue immediately after the
lockdown is relaxed.
Other cases that may come on stream with the imminent easing of
the lockdown order by the government, include such cases involving
Doyin Okupe; Babachir Lawal; Ismaila Mustapha; Chief Fani Kayode;
Senator Gabriel Suswan; Andrew Yakubu, Senator Adeseye Ogunleye;
Ex-governor Ibrahim Shekarau; Former First Lady Patience Jonathan;
Air Marshall Adeola Amosu; Senator Jonah Jang, Senator Seidu Kumo
and Ibrahim Shema, among many others.
Dr Doyin Okupe, former aide of Ex President Goodluck Jonathan.
Okupe is billed to continue his defence in May, 2020. He was given
permission to travel for health reasons. The former presidential
aide is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside his two companies:
Value Trust Investments and Abrahams Telecoms on a 59-count charge
bordering on money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to
the tune of N702,000,000 Others are Babachir Lawal, former
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, who was
arraigned for benefiting illegally from the approval of
N544,119,925.36, for the removal of invasive plant species and
simplified irrigation. His trial was adjourned to April 10, 2020,
but could not hold as a result of COVID-19.
Social media celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha (Mompha) and his
company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, were re-arraigned
before a Federal High Court, Lagos. The EFCC re-arraigned him on
second amended charge of 22 counts bordering on money laundering
before Justice Mohammed Liman. Mompha and his company were first
arraigned sometimes in November 2019 on a 14 count-count charge of
the offence.
In the new amended charge, EFCC alleged that Mompha procured his
company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited to retain the sum of
N33.006,026,806 billion between 2015 and 2018. The case is still
ongoing.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation is
currently standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for
Finance, Mrs. Esther Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a company,
John Trust Dimensions Nigeria Limited before Justice Mohammed
Aikawa of a Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged N4.6
billion fraud. They were re-arraigned before the court on May 15,
2017, by the EFCC on a 17-count charge bordering on the alleged
offence.
Their re-arraignment came two months after another judge of the
court, Justice Muslim Sule Hassan, recused himself from the case.
At the last hearing of the matter on 11th June, 2018, EFCC’s
lawyer, Idris Mohammed informed the judge that his third witness
was indisposed and as such he would not be able to continue. He,
however, sought an adjournment.
Senator Gabriel Suswam , a former Benue State State Governor and
others are standing trial in three cases pending before the Federal
High Courts Abuja. The latest is a three-count charge of money
laundering and illegal possession of firearms on which he was
arraigned on July 6, 2018 before Justice Mohammed Ahmed.
Proceedings are expected to resume on October 24. In the first
of the other two cases, Suswam is being tried with a former
Commissioner of Finance in Benue State, Omadachi Oklobia. They are
accused of diverting proceeds of the sale of Benue State’s
investments in some companies.
The case is pending before Justice Ahmed Mohammed and has been
adjourned to October 9 for continuation of trial. Suswam, Okolobia
and Mrs. Janet Anuga, in the second charge FHC/ABJ/CR/48/2017, were
accused of diverting funds meant for SURE-P projects in the
State.
The case was pending before Justice Gabriel Kolawole before the
judge’s elevation to the Court of Appeal. The case is expected to
be reassigned to a new judge at the resumption of the court.
Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, former SSA to Ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, is currently on trial alongside,
Iwejuo Joseph Nna, before a Federal High Court in Lagos. He was
docked on June 11, 2018 before Justice Mohammed Idris over alleged
N1.6 billion fraud.
The former presidential aide alongside his accomplice were
arraigned on a 23-count charge of conspiracy to conceal proceeds of
crime amounting to N1.6 Billion. In the charge, the EFCC alleged
that the two accused persons, between June 2013 and June 2015, used
different companies to fraudulently launder the said money. Some of
the companies the anti-graft agency claimed were used to launder
the money include; Seagate Property Development & Investment Ltd;
Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd and Pluto Property
and Investment Company Ltd.
Others are: Rotate Interlink Services Ltd; Ibejige Services Ltd;
DeJakes Fast Food &
Restaurant Nigeria Ltd and Ebiwise Andrew Yakubu, a former Group
Managing Director, GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, was arraigned by the EFCC, on Thursday, March
16, 2017 before Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court,
Abuja on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering,
non-disclosure of assets and fraud. Yakubu’s journey to the dock
started on February 3, 2017, when operatives of the EFCC stormed a
building belonging to the former NNPC boss and recovered a
staggering sum of $9,772,000 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and
Seventy-Two Thousand United States Dollars) and £74,000 (Seventy-
Four Thousand Pound Sterling) cash stashed in a huge fire proof
safe.
Following the raid, Yakubu on February 8, 2017 reported to the
Commission’s Kano Zonal Office where he admitted being the owner of
both the house and the money recovered. The offence breaches
Section 7(4)(b)(ii) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related
Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 7 (5) of the same
Act. A Federal High Court sitting in Kano presided over by Justice
Zainab B. Abubakar on February 14, 2017 ordered the forfeiture of
the money recovered from Yakubu to the Federal Government. The
order was sequel to an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking an
interim forfeiture of the sum.
Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, a Former Minister of Works and former
Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
Ogun State was arraigned on November 25, 2016 by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC). In a case with suit No.
AB/EFCC/03/16, Ogunlewe alongside the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB,
Prof. Olusola Oyewole; and the Bursar of the institution, Mr. Moses
Ilesanmi were arraigned before the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta,
on 18 counts, bordering on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by
false pretences and abuse of office in connection with an alleged
N409 million fraud. The court later sat on the case in January 26,
2017 before Justice
Olatokunbo Majekodumi of an Abeokuta High Court where Ogunlewe
requested that his name be removed from the corruption case. Wale
Adesokan, counsel to Mr. Ogunlewe, had brought an application
seeking to quash his client’s name from the case, saying the court
has no jurisdiction to hear the case.
Senator Ibrahim Shekarau was arraigned in May 2018, by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Federal High Court
sitting in Kano over alleged money laundering offence. Shekarau,
together with Bashir Wali and Mansur Ahmad, are facing six counts
charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of
N950m. Lawyer to the EFCC, Mr. Johnson Ojogbane, told the court
that the defendants had, between March 26 and 27, 2015 in Kano,
conspired between themselves and received various sums of money
without going through financial institutions.
In one of the several money laundering cases against former
First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan , the EFCC had filed a 15-count
charge against her companies and Dudafa, Amajuoyi Briggs, a lawyer;
and Damola Bolodeoku, a Skye Bank official. After the charges were
read to the accused, the first, second and third accused pleaded
not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, the four individuals representing the companies
listed in the charge, each pleaded guilty to the offences. Four
companies were linked to the alleged money laundering case
involving the former First Lady and she pleaded guilty to the
offence.
Like all the foregoing cases, the matter involving the former
First Lady has yet to be resolved. So also are all other pending
cases at different levels of our court system.
But the EFCC says that it is determined to follow all the cases
to a logical conclusion, notwithstanding the hiccup in their trial
as a result of the dreaded Covid-19 contagion. Speaking on the
issue, the Acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, disclosed
that all the pending investigations and cases would be followed up
diligently and justice would be served in all of them without fear
or favour.
According to Magu, the EFCC will live up to expectations and
ensure that the right things are done, for a better tomorrow.
Culled from Sun