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National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its first ever crime and corruption survey last Thursday in Abuja rating the police and customs, as well as utility companies such as the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) as the country’s most corrupt institutions. Surprisingly, the nation’s courts were rated as one of the least. (more…)
The Lebanese; Jihad Mohammad Ghraizi and Mohammad Jihad Ghraizi (father and son) who have been under the custody of EFCC and arraigned yesterday before Justice Sadiq Umar, denied the allegations. The first accused, Jihad Mohammad Ghraizi and second accused Mohammad Jihad Ghraizi were charged with 14 and nine count charge respectively.
In the allegations, the commission pursued that the first accused made a forged document, an Irrevocable Power Of Attorney dated December 27, 2009 claiming that the said document was made and donated to him by the complainant, Abdul Majeed Mohammad with the intention of causing the complainant to part with his 60 per cent shareholding in Madeni Construction Company Limited, thereby committed an offence contrary to section 363 and punishable under section 364 of the penal code cap 532, laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990; that the first accused on July 11, 2008 in Abuja used as genuine, the said forged document, an Irrevocable Power Of Attorney dated December 27 , 2009; that the first accused on or about December 27, 2009, in Abuja fraudulently made a forged document, Letter Of Transfer Of Shares dated December 27, 2009 in his favour, claiming that the said document was written by the complainant, Abdul Majeed Mohammad to support his claim that the complainant donated a power of attorney to him with intention of causing the complainant to part with his 60 per cent shareholding in Madeni Construction Company Limited.
Others include; that the first accused used as genuine, the said forged Letter Of Transfer Of Shares; that the first and second accused on June 4, 2008, in Abuja, conspired between themselves to fraudulently make a forged document, Renewal of Expatriate Quota Positions dated June 4, 2008 in their favour to make it appear as if the same was made by the Ministry of Interior, Citizens and Business Department; that they also claimed that the same document was signed and issued by the Ministry of Interior, Citizens and Business Department, while knowing it to be a forged document; etc.
Following the denial of the charges by the suspects; counsel for the first and second accused, Sunday Ameh SAN who had earlier filed an application for bail said that the two accused were on EFCC administrative bail since Monday. “EFCC released them January 2009 when their statements were obtained. On June 24 (2010), they were invited to EFCC. They did not jump bail while on EFCC administrative bail. It is a clear demonstration that while on bail, they will attend proceedings. If released on bail, they would provide reasonable surety.”
In response to the application, counsel to the federal government, James Onu filed an 8 paragraph counter affidavit. However, presiding judge, Sadiq Umar reserved ruling on bail application to today being July 1, 2010.
Raj Bhojwani, an alleged associate of Nigeria’s former Military Head of State, Sani Abacha and Nigeria’s present Ambassador to South Africa Buba Marwa has been sentenced to six years after depositing tens of millions of pounds from army deal in St Helier bank
Raj Bhojwani was jailed for depositing millions in a Jersey bank from a deal to provide trucks to the Nigerian dictator’s army. In the 12 years since Nigeria (more…)
As the Commission vigorously investigates the Siemens bribery scandal with the interrogation of some highly placed Nigerians, it is a mockery of justice that it has no-go areas in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of financial crimes and corruption-related cases.
One would have expected the Commission to handle the high-profile Halliburton bribery case with its renewed vigour. But no, the Commission said last week that it would not revisit the controversial case unless it is so directed by the Presidency.
The Commission initiated the investigation of the case and had progressed it steadily, but its spokesman said it is a no-go area because ” a Presidential Committee headed by the office of Inspector-General of Police is now in charge.”
The late President Umaru Yar’Adua set up a Presidential Committee in 2007 to take the case off the EFCC. The Committee headed by the then Inspector General of Police, has EFCC Chairman, and representatives of the National Security Adviser, State Security Service and National Intelligence Agency as members.
Its terms of reference, among others, are “to establish the extent of involvement or culpability of any Nigerian in the bribery scandal and the sums of money allegedly paid out to any person in Nigeria by Halliburton as bribes in respect of the Bonny LNG Project; and to liaise with the Swiss authorities with a view to tracing and recovering any sum stashed in Swiss banks for the benefit of those involved in the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas Project bribery scandal.”
Between then and now, while many Nigerians have been sentenced to jail or have been kept behind bars to await trials over far lesser offences; while various reports have revealed Nigerians suspected to be involved in the scandal, nothing seems to be happening.
The bribery scandal began in 1994, when the NLNG board under the chairmanship of MD Yusuf, opened bids for the award of contract for the Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Bonny, Rivers State. A consortium of four companies – Technip of France, Snamprogetti , a subsidiary of ENI SPA of Italy; Kellog of the United States later known as KBR and Japan Gasoline Corporation, which was registered as TSKJ, bid for the contract with BCSA. TSKJ is a subsidiary of Halliburton. TSKJ subsequently won the contract for $1.8 billion in September, 1994.
However, the lid over the bribery scandal that influenced the contract award to TSKJ was blown open in June, 2003. Further investigation into the Nigerian deal was opened in France in October, 2003, where it was deposed at the hearings that Jeffrey Tesler, a 60-year-old British lawyer, was the intermediary between Halliburton and the Nigerian government, who channelled the bribery money through Tri – Star Investment Limited owned by him.
All that is public knowledge now! Also of public knowledge is Tesler’s confession in court that the payments he made included two transfers amounting to $75,000 to Yusuf, then chairman of the LNG, that awarded the original contract to the consortium. His testimony showed that the bribe was used to secure Yusuf’s support in facilitating a meeting between TSKJ officials and the late Sanni Abacha.
Why Nigeria should dilly-dally with such a high profile case, with a big impact on the country’s image and its attraction as an investment destination, has become a sad statement on its anti-corruption efforts.
The long wait for justice has been made more depressing by unconfirmed reports that the Presidential Committee has indeed sent a report of its findings that implicate some highly placed Nigerians and former heads of state, to President Goodluck Jonathan.
So many people have been smeared by these reports in the public domain, and will forever remain tarred if the case remains inconclusive. That perhaps is why former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote to President Jonathan last month hoping that it “would bring about a decision of the Federal Government to make available to the public, the full details of the circumstances surrounding the Halliburton bribe scandal and who, if anybody, are the culprits.”
All the developments on the case are now in the glare of the world. In the interest of justice and for the image of the country, the Federal Government should move quickly to bring the case to a judicial conclusion. It should disabuse the minds of Nigerians that in these times and age, there are still sacred cows.
Assets worth $350m (£212m) belonging to the son of Nigeria’s former Military ruler, Abba Abacha has been seized by a Swiss court
Abba Abacha was convicted of being a member of a criminal organisation and given a suspended custodial sentence.
Switzerland began investigating the Abacha family in 1999 and has so far handed back about $700m to Nigeria.
Nigerian state lawyers believe Sani Abacha, who ruled from 1993 until his death in 1998, may have stolen $2.2bn.
The Swiss authorities pursued Abba Abacha for six years before extraditing him from Germany in 2005.
“The examining magistrate sentenced him to a suspended jail term, and ordered the confiscation of his assets of $350m,” Geneva canton’s justice office said in a statement.
“[The money] is held by his criminal organisation and seized through international assistance in Luxembourg and the Bahamas.”
Abba Abacha can appeal against the judgement.
African Interest reports that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to commence the trial of the former governor of River State, Dr. Peter Odili 
over alleged charges of corruption and abuse of office. (more…)
The Lagos High Court under Justice Olubunmi Oyewole has found former Deputy Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party , Chief Bode George
guilty of a 40 count charge of fraud and sentenced him to two and five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Nigeria’s anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2008 charged Olabode Gorge and four others for contract inflation to the tune of N84 billion during Olabode’s tenure as the chairman of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) Board 2000 and 2003.
Olabode George is presently on his way to Ikoyi Prisons in Lagos Nigeria
EFCC Chair : Farida Waziri
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned the first batch of 100 bank debtors to appear at its office in the commercial hub Lagos today in hopes of recovering some of the $2.6 billion owed to Bank PHB (BPHB.LG), Equitorial Trust Bank, Spring Bank (SPRN.LG), Wema Bank (WEMA.LG), and Unity Bank (UBPL.LG).
“Effective from today, they will need to start paying. There will be no deadline but they will have to commit to paying,” said EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi. (more…)
Nigeria is one of the worst governed countries in the African country. It ranked 38th out of the 53 countries surveyed by researchers from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
The annual Governance index study released yesterday shows that Africa’s small island states -Mauritius, Seychelles and Cape Verde are the best governed on the continent, according while South Africa has slipped in its rankings.
Chad, Sudan and Somalia came in at the bottom of the list, which has been published since 2007. (more…)
Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, told a three-member panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, that the Government of President Umaru Yar’Adua is plotting his assassination for exposing corruption allegedly involving former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori. (more…)
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