EFCC re-arraigns for 3rd time Akpobolokemi, Atewe, others over N8.5b fraud

For the third time on Friday, a former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, was re-arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N8.5billion fraud.

His re-arraignment before the Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice A. O. Faji, was along a former Commander of the Military Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, in the Niger Delta, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe (retd.), and two others, Josephine Otuaga and Kime Engonzu.

The anti-graft agency re-arraigned the defendants on 22-count charge relating to fraud.

The EFCC had before the defendants’ Friday re-arraignment, arraigned them twice before Justice Saliu Saidu. Their first arraignment on June 3, 2016 was on 11-count charge.

On December 5, 2016, six months after their first arraignment, the commission again, re-arraigned them before Justice Saidu, this time amending the charge sheet against them from 11 to 22 counts.

Sequel to Justice Saidu’s transfer from Lagos division to Port Harcourt division of the Federal High Court, the EFCC on Friday re-arraigned the defendants for the third time, before Justice Faji.

Read also: LAI MOHAMMED: ‘I don’t tell lies’

The commission is accusing the defendants of defrauding NIMASA of N8.5billion between September 5, 2014, and May 20, 2015. It also said that the defendants committed the alleged fraud using six companies to divert the sum from NIMASA’s account.

The offence according to the anti-graft commission contradicts the 2012 provision of Section 18(a) of Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amended) Act.

The six companies allegedly used to carry out the fraud are Al-Nald Ltd; Paper Warehouse Ltd; Jagan Ltd; Jagan Global Services Ltd; Jagan Trading Company Ltd; Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd.

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