The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has opened its case against former Commander of the Military Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Rtd Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, before the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Atewe is charged alongside a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, Kime Engozu and Josephine Otuaga over N8.5 billion fraud.
They are being prosecuted by the EFCC on 11 counts bordering on fraud.
In the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that the accused conspired to defraud NIMASA of N8.5 billion using seven companies.
The companies are Jagan Ltd; Jagan Trading Company Ltd; Jagan Global Services Ltd; Al-Nald Ltd; Paper Warehouse Ltd; Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd.
The EFCC claimed that the accused committed the alleged fraud between Sept. 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015.
The accused had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The accused had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The first prosecution witness Teslim Ajuwon, called to give evidence, gave account of how NIMASA transferred the sum of N8.5 billion into the account of the joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield and also how it was transferred to the account of seven private companies.
Ajuwon, a compliance officer with a first generation bank, was led in evidence by the EFCC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo before the court presided over by Justice Saliu Saidu.
He informed the court that between September 5 and 16, 2014, a total of N1.8 billion was moved from the said account into the accounts of Jaggan Ltd, Paper house service Ltd, East point services Ltd and Al-nald Ltd.
“On September 3, 2014, there is a Nigeria Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) of the sum of N2.4 billion to the account of Joint Tax force, Operation Puelo Shield, and this was from NIMASA.
“On October 30, 2014, there is another transfer of the sum of N2.4 billion by NIMASA, into the same account of the Joint Task Force; on April, 30, 2015, there is also a transfer of N1 billion from NIMASA into the same account.
“Again, on May 11, 2015, there is a transfer by NIMASA, of the sum of N1.7 billion into the same account of the Joint Task Force, while the following day May 12, 2015, there is another transfer of N1 billion by NIMASA into same account,” he said.
Source: Sun
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