N8.5bn FRAUD: Akpobolokemi, army general, others rearrainged in court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi and a former Commander of the military Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, in the Niger Delta, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe (retd.) in court.

They were accused to have in collaboration with two others, Kime Engozu and Josephine Otuaga, laundered N8, 537,586,798.58 in a 22-count charge levelled against them.

The defendants who are standing trial before Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court in Lagos, were initially arraigned on May 27 on 11 counts, however the EFCC amended the charges to 22, leading to their re-arraignment on Monday.

They allegedly siphoned N8.5bn from NIMASA sometime in 2014 using six companies, Jagan Trading Company Ltd., Jagan Global Services Ltd., Al-Nald Ltd., Paper Warehouse Ltd., Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd. and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd.

EFCC alleged in one of the counts, that Atewe diverted N170.3m out of the funds earmarked for Operation Polo Shield in the Niger Delta to acquire 30,000 units of shares titled ‘MTN Linked Units’.

The anti-graft agency also accused Atewe of using part of the operation’s funds to buy landed properties measuring 50 hectares at Kuje, another measuring 13.032.10 square metres along Kubwa, and another in Plot MF62 outer Northern Expressway, Cadastral Zone, Abuja, in the name of his company E.J-Joe Ltd.

In another count, EFCC alleged that Atewe acquired properties worth N763.3m in Lugbe, Kuje, among others, between 2014 and last year, using stolen funds from Operation Polo Shield.

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According to EFCC, Engozu and Otuaga allegedly made cash transactions in excess of the threshold stated by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act), without going through any financial institution.

The commission claimed Engozu received a cash payment of $22.5m on November 7, 2014, while Otuaga received $527,500 on October 31, 2014.

The EFCC argued that defendants violated Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Act 2012 and therefore, are liable to be punished under Section 13(3) of the same Act.

However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

Their trial were adjourned till February 3 and 20, 2017 by Justice Saidu.

 

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