N1.5bn fraud: EFCC to arraign Fani-Kayode, ex-minister for N1.5bn fraud

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to arraign a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; a former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman; a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited; and one Jimoh Yusuf for an alleged N1.5bn fraud.

The anti-graft commission will on Wednesday arraign a former Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa, for an alleged N1.6bn fraud.

An impeccable source at the anti-graft agency told our correspondent that Fani-Kayode, Usman and Yusuf would be charged with 17 counts bordering on money laundering and fraud.

The source added, “We have filed charges against Fani-Kayode, Usman, Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited. Yusuf was the signatory to the account of Joint Trust Dimensions Limited. They will be arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos this week.”

The EFCC had arrested Fani-Kayode and Usman for their role in the sharing of a N4bn campaign fund during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The money was said to have been transferred to the account of JTDL and then distributed to some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Usman, who was the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, was alleged to have transferred N840m into the Zenith Bank account of Fani-Kayode with account number 1004735721, domiciled in Maitama, Abuja.

Fani-Kayode was said to have received the funds in three tranches.

The first tranche of the payment, involving N350m, hit the account on February 19, 2015. Another N250m was also paid into the account on February 19, 2015, while N240m was credited to the account a month later; precisely on March 19, 2015.

Apart from Fani-Kayode, others, who also received the funds, were the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae (N100m); a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; while a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, also got N350m in two tranches while Nenadi Usman took N36.9m.

A coalition of pro-Jonathan groups, headed by a former Special Adviser to the President on Political matters, Prof. Rufai Alkali, also received N320m.

The accounts of those accused of receiving funds have since been frozen by the EFCC.

Usman has returned about N23m to the EFCC while two of her properties in Abuja have been seized by the anti-graft agency.

Meanwhile, the EFCC is also set to arraign Dudafa, a former Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Jonathan, for an alleged N1.6bn fraud.

Dudafa was arrested by the EFCC at the Lagos airport in April for his alleged role in the sharing of about N10bn to delegates at the PDP presidential primary in 2014, where Jonathan was the sole candidate.

A former Aide-de-Camp to Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, who was arrested in February for the same offence, has since been retired by the Nigerian Army.

It was learnt that Dudafa would be charged alongside one Iwejuo Nna, also known at various times as Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah.

They will be charged before Justice Mohammed Idris at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The first count states that the accused persons on or about June 11, 2013, in Lagos, “allegedly conspired amongst themselves to conceal the sum of N1.667bn said to be the proceeds of crime.”

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a) of the same Act.

In the other charges, Dudafa also allegedly used six companies – Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, Ebiwise Resources, Pluto Property and Investment Company, Rotato Interlink Services and De Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant Nigeria Limited – to conceal varying sums of money between June, 2013, and April, 2016.

The EFCC has lined up 21 witnesses including representatives of some banks to testify against the defendants.