The Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), said it is ready to charge two senior civil servants to court after it uncovered over N3 billion in their several bank accounts.
In a related development, the panel has sealed off suspicious assets and property belonging to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, located in Warri, Asaba in Delta State, and Lagos State.
The action is coming on the heels of an order of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court for an interim forfeiture of property belonging to Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North senatorial district.
Ruling in suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/1127/18 filed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property on behalf of the Federal government, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo also placed a post-no-debit order on 22 bank accounts linked to Nwaoboshi.
Chairman of the presidential panel, Okoi Obono-Obla who confirmed this to our correspondent gave the names of the civil servants as Dr. Goody Nnadi, the General Manager, Corporate Services, and Aisha F. Usman, the General Manager, Operations, both with the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF).
Meantime, the panel said it is investigating other management staff of the fund alleged to be involved in fraudulent activities.
In the case of Dr. Nnadi, Obono-Obla, said his panel acted on a petition which it received against him and preliminary investigations showed that he (Nnadi) operates corporate accounts with Galbani and Greatwood Hotels, Owerri, Imo State.
Giving more details, the panel said its investigation further showed that from 2011 till date, the total inflow of money into Nnadi’s accounts “amounts to N2.2billion, $302,964, €11,000 Euro and £2,000 pounds sterling,” as per the findings.
According to Obono- Obla, “that both individuals and oil companies deposited money alleged to be gratification/bribe to the personal and corporate account of the suspect in order to get an allocation of either PMS, AGO, and DPK from the NNPC depot.”
He added that Nnadi is presently undergoing the Senior Executive Course (SEC 41, 2019) at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau state, after being questioned and released on bail
The SPIP chairman disclosed that during investigation, “the suspect admitted helping some of the oil companies to get allocation from NNPC and that was the reason they paid money into his accounts.”
The panel also recovered “two documents of landed property, $1,000 and €200 Euros during a search on Nnadi’s house.“
Meantime, efforts to speak with Nnadi on the subject matter failed as he refused to pick his calls and return text message sent to his mobile phone.
Also in trouble is the General Manager Operations of the organization, Aisha F Usman who is said to have nine different accounts with one bank with a total inflow of N1.4 billion.
The panel said the discovery showed that money was paid into her accounts by some corporate organisations.
Obono-Obla said the panel was ready to file charges against Nnadi and Usman.
In the case of Senator Nwaoboshi, the panel has accused him of allegedly making false declaration of his assets in his Form CCB1 submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
He was recently referred to the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel.
According to the ruling of Justice Tiawo, 14 properties and 22 bank accounts linked to the senator were to be temporarily forfeited to the Federal government. Aside sealing off the properties, the panel also wrote to several banks including Zenith International Bank Plc, United Bank of Africa, Sterling Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc to block Senator Nwaoboshi from operating multiple accounts maintained by him in the banks pursuant to the Order of the Interim forfeiture given by the court.
Some of the properties sealed by the Presidential Panel included Summing Electrical Company located at Asagba along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State; PON filling station along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State, and a multi-billion naira estate under construction at Maryam Babangida Road, Asaba, Delta State. Others were Cartage Cinema located on Okpanam Road beside Rain Oil Petrol Station, Asaba, Delta State, Newbridge filling station along Airport Road, Warri, Delta State and a house at No 8 Monu Olanrewaju Crescent, GRA, Asaba, Delta State. Senator Nwaoboshi’s properties sealed in Lagos are Guinea House, No 27, Marina Road, Apapa and a multi-billion naira building located at 41, Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos.
In Abuja, the affected properties included house No 25, 6932 Road, Adban Estate, Gwarimpa and Plot 3011B Kuranakh Close, Maitama. Also, a number of plots of land were sealed by the panel. (The Sun)
