Posted by By Innocent Anaba on
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, submitted to a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, a lengthy list of sums of money said to have been inappropriately collected by Governor Joshua Dariye and several of his aides and transferred into his personal accounts.
LAGOS - THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday, submitted to a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, a lengthy list of sums of money said to have been inappropriately collected by Governor Joshua Dariye and several of his aides and transferred into his personal accounts.
The EFCC also said it was investigating 15 principal functionaries of the state government, including the former Accountant-General of the state, Mr. Shem Damisa; Chief of Staff in the Governor's Office, Mr. Alexander Molwuns; Finance Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Agaki; and Accountant-General, Mr. Nuhu Madaki in connection with the fraud.
The EFCC was responding to a request by the Plateau State Government to the court to vacate the court's order freezing the state's accounts.
Details of the collections as listed by EFCC:
"On the 6th April, 2001, the sum of N273,000,000 (two hundred and seventy-three million Naira) in the cheques of Lion Bank issued by the Accountant-General of Plateau State was lodged in the State's Accountant-General's account with Diamond Bank No. 015213000-0105 as a fixed deposit.
That the lodgement above mentioned in paragraph (13) yielded an interest in the sum of N3,000,000.00 within thirty days period.
That on the 3rd day of May, 2001 at the instance of the State's Accountant- General, Mr. Shem Damisa, Diamond Bank issued a ?Bankers Draft' in the sum of N204,000,000 in favour of All States Trust Bank, Abuja Branch which sum was latter traced to the private account of an unregistered company known as Ebenezer Retnan Ventures whose alter ego is known to be the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye. Attached herewith and marked Exhibit EFCC2 are the accounts opening forms for Ebenezar Retnan Ventures, letter of EFCC to Corporate Affairs Commission, letter from Corporate Affairs Commission to EFCC, letter from Allstates Trust Bank, Abuja and Diamond Bank
That the aforesaid lodgements were sums drawn from the Plateau State statutory allocation vote.
That investigations also revealed that on the 25th January, 2001 the sum of N6,000,000 (Six million Naira) generated by Plateau State Water Board in furtherance of its aim of enhancing efficient water supply to the citizens and residents of Plateau State was surreptitiously and fraudulently diverted by the State Accountant General into the Private Account of Ebenezer Retnan Ventures operated with Lion Bank of Nigeria, Plc. Attached herewith and marked Exhibit EFCC3 is a copy of a forwarding letter dated 11th November, 2004 signed by Maksen S. Bishmang General Manager, Credit and Marketing Division Lion Bank of Nigeria Plc.
That on the same 25th January, 2001, the Accountant General of Plateau State also caused to be diverted into the account of Ebenezer Retnan Ventures the sum of N6,000,000.00 (six million Naira) from Plateau State Investment and Property Limited. See Exhibit EFCC3 above.
That on the 12th July, 2001 the sum of N1,161,162,900 (one billion, one hundred and sixty-one million, one hundred and sixty-two thousand, nine hundred Naira) was released to the Plateau State Government from the Ecological Funds Office under the Presidency. Attached herewith and marked.
That out of the sums stated in paragraphs (19) above the sum of N176,000.000 (one hundred and seventy-six million Naira) was paid into the account of Ebenezer Retnan Ventures at the instructions of the. Executive Governor of Plateau State as per the letter of instructions dated 19th July, 2001 from the Executive Governor of the State. Attached herewith and marked Exhibit EFCC5 is the said letter addressed to All States Trust Bank.
That investigations also revealed that sometime in October, 2003, the sum of NI 18,387,500.00 (One Hundred and Eighteen Million, Three Hundred and Eight Seven Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) was diverted from Plateau State Government's Account with All States Trust 8ank to a private individual called Opuda Cole at the instance of the Executive Governor of Plateau State for the purchase of a private house for the Governor. Attached herewith and marked Exhibit EFCC6 is the Bank's Cheque No. 0372369 of 2nd October, 2003.
That further investigations also revealed that fraudulent deposits were also made Into Ebenezer Retnan Venture's account from the Plateau State Government's Accounts held in various names of, the states' parastatals/institutions. These payments include the followings:
a) On 25111 March, 2003 the sum of N10,000.000 (Ten Million Naira) was deposited;
b) On the 14th April, 2003 the sum of N25,000,000 (Twenty Five Million Naira) was lodged therein;
c). On the 18th June, 2003 the sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) was also lodged therein;
d) On the 31st December, 2003 the sum of N3,230,000 (Three Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) was lodged therein;
e) On the 31st January, 2004, the sum' of N4,560,000 (Four Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) was lodged therein;
On the 23rd February, 2004, the sum of N12,940,000 (Twelve Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) was also lodged therein;
g) On the 27th February, 2004 the sum of N10,900,000 (Ten Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) was lodged therein;
h) On the 3rd March, 2004 the sum of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) was deposited.
i) On the12 the March, 2004 the sum of N12,000,000 (Twelve Million Naira) was lodged into the said account.
j) On the 17th March, 2004 the sum of N6,500,000 (Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) was deposited.
k) On the 27th April, 2004, the sum of N22000,000 (Two Million Naira) was deposited.
I) On the 27th April, 2004, the sum of N5.000,000 (Five Million Naira) was also lodged into that account.
Attached herewith and marked as Exhibit EFCC7 is a statement of the' accounts from All states Trust Bank.
23. Contrary to paragraphs 3(iv), 3(v), 3(vi) and 3(vii) of the affidavit in support of the motion, the statutory allocations for the state which, usually are paid directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the State Government were collected by the State Government for the months of December, 2005 and January, 2006 without it necessarily passing through the temporarily freezed accounts.
24. That the ?Commissioner for finance and the Accountant General of Plateau State have mortgaged the finances of the state into a fraudulent business transaction called "Trading in Commercial Papers by which process the state officials purportedly take huge loans in advance.
25. That the loans fraudulently taken in advance by the Plateau State Government officials are usually defrayed by using the statutory allocations of the state.
26. That as against the tradition of the Central Bank of Nigeria concerning dealings in commercial papers, none of the Plateau State officials has knowledge of who the third player In the tripod trade in commercial papers is till this day.
27. That Investigations into the activities of the state functionaries revealed moreso that between January 14 and March, 2004 the Accountant General of Plateau State - Mr Nuhu Madaki diverted the sum of N492,280,000 (Four Hundred and Ninety Two Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) from the state account in Lion Bank to a private account maintained by him.
26. That the sum of N160,000,000 (One Hundred and Sixty Million Naira) was also personally withdrawn from the bank by the Accountant General as against the known standard practice of using official cashiers under the ministry to make withdrawals.
29. That between 8th and 11th August, 2003, one Dashuwar the Aide De Camp (ADC) to the Executive Governor of Plateau State made a cash withdrawal to the tune of N35,700,000.00 (Thirty Five Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) from the Plateau State Government's Account ,with Intercontinental Bank, Abuja Branch. (Attached herewith and marked' Exhibits E~CC8 and EFCC9 ) are the two cheques with which withdrawals were made.
30. That investigations also revealed that on the 11th day of August, 2003, Mr. Nuhu All Madaki the current Accountant General of Plateau State personally made a cash withdrawal of the sum of N103,407,,635~00 (One Hundred and Three Million, Four Hundred and Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirty Five Naira) from the Plateau State Government's Account with Intercontinental Bank.
31. That investigations further revealed that between January and
November, 2005, the Plateau State Accountant General - Mr. Nuhu Alli Madaki made several payments from the State Government's Account with Intercontinental Bank, Jos Branch using open cheques and Bank Manager's' cheques rather than crossed cheques which payments are to the tune of N4,489,488,607.00. (Four Billion, Four Hundred and Eighty Nine Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Seven Naira).
32. That investigations revealed that on ,the several dates that the Accountant General of Plateau State made all the suspicious withdrawals from the State Government Accounts with the banks, the state cashiers also made their normal withdrawals on behalf of the State Government.
33. That on the 16th day of August, 2004, a fraudulent withdrawal was made by Mrs. Elizabeth Akims a functionary of the Plateau State Government from the State Government Accounts with Intercontinental Bank to the tune of N37,416,702.11 (Thirty Seven Million, Four Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Two Naira, Eleven Kobo) Attached herewith and marked
Exhibit EFCC IO Is cheque No. 2311541 of 16th August,2004.
34. That on 16th February, 2004, a spurious payment of the sum of N50,000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) was made to a company named Leo Yatmut (Eagle Construction) from the Plateau State Government Account with Intercontinental Bank - via an open cheque as against the standard paying Corporate entities with crossed cheques. Attached herewith and marked Exhibit EFCC II Is the said cheque.
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Billions allegedly looted
N273,000,000
N204,000,000
N6,000,000
N1,161,162,900
N176,000,000
NI 18,387,500.00
N10,000.000
N25,000,000
N5,000,000
N3,230,000
N3,230,000
N4,560,000
N12,940,000
N10,900,000
N3,000,000
N12,000,000
N6,500,000
N22000,000
N5.000,000
N492,280,000
N160,000,000
N35,700,000.00
N103,40,635.00
N4,489,488,607.00.
N37,416,702.11
N50,000,000