Nigerian Breweries MD’s wife, others under probe for oil supply racket

The special crimes division of the Nigerian Police Force, National Headquarters, Abuja, has launched investigations into alleged oil supply racket and insider dealings at Nigerian Breweries Plc.

The investigation, which was at the instance of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was sequel to a petition by an aggrieved supplier of petroleum products to Nigerian Breweries.

It was gathered that the petition points accusing fingers at the wife of the managing director of the company, Nicholas Vervelde.

In a confirmation of the ongoing police investigation, Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, stated that the company has become aware of the ongoing police investigation, which emanated from a petition written by one of its suppliers, Messrs TMDK Oil Traders.

“It appears that the petition is targeted at persons connected to NB, including the wife of our Managing Director,” Ekanem stated.

According to the company, TMDK Oil Traders (TMDK) was one of the suppliers of petroleum products to Nigerian Breweries under a three-year term contract that lapsed at the end of September, 2016.

The company stated that TMDK participated in a recent tender process for supply of petroleum products to NB but while the process was on-going, TMDK wrote a letter to NB complaining of some bias against it.

The complaint was handled and investigated by NB’s internal audit department and the conclusion was that the tender process was duly followed and no irregularities were found. Other claims relating to extra costs made by TMDK are currently being analysed and evaluated.

However, not satisfied with the NB’s internal probe, TMDK’s lawyers wrote a petition to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice alleging gross insider abuses, corporate mismanagement and unfair business practices.

Recently, some senior managers in NB were asked to report to the Force Headquarters (Police), Abuja for questioning based on the petition. The AGF forwarded the petition to the police.

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