Pages

Thursday, 8 October 2015

FRESH HOT NEWS FROM EFCC

EFCC To Arraign Man for Unlawful Possession of 448 Travellers Cheques



The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign one Jonathan Odu Isikwei for unlawful possession of 448 travellers Cheques. Isikwei 51, a native of Igbodo in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta State, was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by the Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during the outward clearance of passengers on a Belgium- bound flight. The case was transferred to the EFCC for further investigation.


The 448 travellers’ Cheques recovered from Isikwei were discovered to purportedly belong to four banks in America, Europe and Canada. The Banks and the traveller’s Cheques are: Gun Nebo Inc. (Bank of Nova Scotia)- 117 pieces, Postbank Frankfurt -258 pieces, Safe Federal Credit Union -41 pieces and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) -32 pieces.
All the travellers’ cheques were signed, with some having monetary value written on them. Among the Cheques belonging to Safe Federal Credit Union, 27 pieces were blank while 14 pieces of the Cheques have monetary value worth 322,800 US Dollars. Twenty Seven pieces of the travellers’ Cheques belonging to Gun Nebo Canada Inc. were blank while 90 pieces of the cheques have monetary value worth 354,300 Canadian Dollars.

The suspect who claims he exports dried fish from Nigeria to Belgium, told investigators that he collected the parcel for onward delivery to a friend without any knowledge of the content.

In a related development, the EFCC is investigating the activities of one Pascal Onuora Udeh. The 34-year-old was arrested for being in possession of 108 pieces of Automated Teller Machine (ATM)/Debit cards.

The suspect who claims to be a trader and an undergraduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, is a native of Umudim Village of Obibi, Ochasi Ato, in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State. He was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by the Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during the outward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airline flight to China.



The suspect alleged that the Debit cards were given to him by his business associates to use in China to purchase men’s wears.


The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

STORY2


N1.5b Subsidy Scam: EFCC FAULTS TUKUR, 4 OTHER'S BID TO QUASH CHARGES 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, opposed bids by Mahmud Tukur and four other defendants, standing trial in a N1.5billion subsidy scam, to quash charges preferred against them.


The other defendants are: Ochonogor Alex, Abdullahi Alao and their companies: Eterna Plc and Ax Energy. They are standing trial before Justice Lateef Lawal Akapo of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja. At the resumed hearing of the matter on Wednesday, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, prayed the court not to entertain the submissions of the defence team led by Olaniran Obehe to quash the charges against the accused persons.


He argued that: "The issue of prima facie case cannot be raised until the prosecution's case is closed and that renders their applications premature. Whether the charge was amended or not, the facts and findings are still binding in this case. My submission is that the court should dismiss all applications and I urge my Lord to so do"


Tukur's counsel, Obehe, alongside Ebun Adegoruwa and Aderemi Oguntoye: counsels to Ochonogor and Alao respectively, prayed the court to quash the charges against their clients. Adegoruwa had argued that the charges be quashed or alternatively strike out Ochonogor’s name from the charge, while Alao's counsel described the charge as incurably cancerous. "I pray the court to discharge and acquit the accused as they cannot be tried under such incurably cancerous amended information", he said.


After listening to the arguments and submissions of counsel, Justice Akapo adjourned the matter to November 16, 2015, for ruling.

STORY 3

EFCC Arraigns Abubakar and Nadabo Energy for N761m Fuel Subsidy Scam
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today October 7, 2015 arraigned Abubakar Ali Peters and his company Nadabo Energy Limited before Justice S.S Ogunsanya of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on 21-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, diversion of Federal Government funds and forgery.


The accused persons allegedly obtained the sum N761,628,993.84 from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Petroleum Support Fund for the purpose of importing 16,808,064 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) but fraudulently imported only 7, 953,962 litres and diverted the rest of the product and its proceeds for personal use.


Abubakar, 33, is also facing a similar charge brought against him by the EFCC before Justice Balogun of the Lagos State High Court.


Count one of the charge reads, “ that, you Nadabo Energy limited on or about 26th day of September 2011 in Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division fraudulently obtained the sum of N761,628,993.84 from the Federal Government by falsely representing that the sum represented the subsidy accrued to Nadabo Energy Limited under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 16,808,064 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which Nadabo Energy limited purported to have purchased from Delano Petroleum Corporation Akara Tortola British Virgin Island, and transported the 16,808,064 through MT Gotland Carolina (mother vessel) and MT Sonia (daughter vessel) to Nigeria, whereas Nadabo Energy limited only imported 7, 953,962 litres of PMS from Delany Petroleum Corporation Akara Tortola British Virgin Island and transported 7,953,962 litres of PMS through MT Gotland Carolina (mother vessel) and MT Songa (daughter vessel) to Nigeria.

The accused person as well as his company pleaded not guilty to the charges.


Justice Ogunsanya granted bail to the accused persons on the terms earlier offered them by Justice Balogun and adjourned the case to November 12, 2015 for the commencement of trial.

No comments:

Post a Comment