Posted by By Tony Amokeodo on
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, accused a businessman, Mr. Gbenga James, and an official of the state government.....
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, accused a businessman, Mr. Gbenga James, and an official of the state government, Mr Goke Olatunji, of using the controversial Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project to enrich Governor Ayo Fayose and his mother.
In a 15-court charge of money laundering brought against the two men at a Federal High Court in Lagos, the EFCC alleged that James and Olatunji made a series of payments from the funds meant for the poultry project to Fayose and his associates.
The commission added that James,who is the Managing Director of Biological Concepts Nig. Ltd and Olatunji, the governor's personal assistant,built a N9.25million house in Ibadan, Oyo State for Fayose.
The EFCC alleged that the accused did not only buy a N2.1million Mercedes Benz car for Fayose's mother, they transferred N1.5million to one Chief Boboye Olanipekun.
James and his company, according to the charge sheet signed by Mr. S.K Atteh and dated July 25, 2006 paid N10million being part of the money meant for the poultry project to Fayose.
The charges read:
1. That you, James on the February 19, 2005 with intent to mislead, made a false statement under caution that you did not give Fayose any money out of the money received by Biological Concepts Nig. Ltd for the poultry project;
2. That you, Olatunji on July 24, 2006 with intent to mislead, made a false statement that you did not receive any money from James for onward transmission to Fayose;
3. That you, James and Biological Concepts converted N1.25 million from the amount meant for the execution of the poultry contract, to the construction of Fayose‘s House in Ibadan;
4. That you, James and Biological Concepts expended N9.25 million from the amount meant for the execution of the contract to the construction of Fayose‘s House in Ibadan;
5. That you, James transferred N4 million from the amount meant for the execution of the contract to Avian Specialities Nig. Ltd;
6. That you, James transferred N55, 636,171.15 from the amount meant for the execution of the contract to Avian Specialities Nig.Ltd;
7. That you, Avian Specialities Nig Ltd, collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt from the said James and Biological Concepts, N55, 636,171.15 from the amount meant for the poultry project;
8. That you, Avian Specialities collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt of the said James and Biological Concepts, the sum of N4 million;
9. That you James and Biological Concepts transferred N7 million from the project and converted it to £37, 600 and gave it to Fayose and Olatunji;
10. That you, Olatunji collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt from the said James and Biological Concepts, the sum of N7 million from the amount meant for the project;
11. That you, James and Biological Concepts transferred N7 million from the amount of the project and converted it to $50, 000 and gave it to Fayose and Olatunji;
12. That you, Olatunji collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt from the said James and Biological Concepts, the sum of N7 million from the poultry project;
13. That you, James and Biological Concepts expended N2.1 million from the execution of the project for the purchase of a Mercedes Benz car for the mother of Fayose;
14. That you, James and Biological Concepts transferred N10 million from the amount of the poultry project to Fayose; and;
15. That you, James and Biolgical Concepts transferred N1.5million from the poultry project to Olanipekun.
The offences are punishable under Section 39(2) of the EFCC Act, 2004 and Section 14 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
A firm, Avian Specialties Nigeria Limited, said to be owned by James, was joined as co-defendants to the suit.
The lawyer to the EFCC, Mr Wahab Shittu, had urged the court to allow the charges to be read to the accused.
But the counsel to James and his firm, Adekunle Oyesanya, opposed him on the grounds that he had just been served with a copy of the charge in court.
The lawyer to Olatunji, Mr T. O Durojaiye, aligned himself with Oyesanya.
Shortly after Shittu sought for a short adjournment, Justice Tijani Abubakar fixed August 1 for further hearing of the matter.
He also ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC‘s custody.