In a May 2016 report
entitled ‘Palaces of Corruption’, The UK Daily Mail unveiled the London
mansions of deceased former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha;
another dead ex-governor, Abubakar Audu of Kogi State, and convicted
ex-Governor of Delta State, Mr James Ibori.
A Federal High
Court in Lagos on Wednesday granted a N500m bail to Amosu and 10 others
arraigned by the EFCC over alleged N22.8bn fraud.
The Federal Government has
commenced moves to seize two mansions allegedly belonging to the immediate past
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.); and a former Chief of
Accounts and Budgeting in the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Jacob
Adigun.
The PUNCH on Wednesday
learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had traced two houses
in the highbrow areas of London to Amosu and Adigun.
Amosu and Adigun, who are
due to be arraigned for alleged N21bn fraud, purchased the houses in 2014.
“We identified a detached
house at 93b Shirehall Park, London, NW42QU, belonging to Adigun. The house was
bought at the cost of £875,000 (N333,375,000) while we traced another house to
50 Tenterden Grove, NW41TH, belonging to Amosu. The house was bought at over
£1m (N381m),” the source added.
However, investigations by
our correspondent showed that the value of the houses had increased.
Our correspondent, who
visited Zoopla.co.uk, which real estate agents use in valuing properties in the
UK, showed that both properties were bought in August 2014.
According to the website,
the property which Adigun allegedly bought in August 2014 at the cost of
£875,000 currently goes for £1,046,000 (N398,526,000).
It adds that Amosu’s
property, which it said was purchased in November 2014 at £1,850,000, (and not
£1m as claimed by the EFCC) is now worth £2,175,000 (N828, 675, 000).
According to the property
website, Amosu’s property has six bedrooms, six bathrooms and two sitting
rooms.
A source at the EFCC told
our correspondent that the Federal Government, through the Office of the
Attorney General of the Federation, would write to the government of the United
Kingdom to assist in seizing the properties, which were allegedly bought with
Nigerian taxpayers’ money.
He said, “What we are
seeking is how to seize the properties through diplomatic means. It is a
process known as Mutual Legal Treaty Assistance.”
According to the UK media,
a large number of mansions in the country are owned by corrupt Nigerians.
Amosu was arraigned by the
anti-graft agency alongside Adigun, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo and eight
companies before Justice Mohammed Idris.
The companies are Delfina
Oil and Gas Limited, Mcallan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties
Company Limited and Trapezites BDC Fonds and Pricey Limited.
Others are Deegee Oil and
Gas Limited, Timsegg Investment Limited and Solomon Health Care Limited.
They were charged with 26
counts of stealing, concealing the proceeds of crime and conversion of funds
belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.
After the charges were read
to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.
Counsel for the 1st and
11th defendants, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), informed the court of his motion
for bail and sought the leave of the court to move same, which was granted.
Ayorinde said his client
had been cooperating fully with the EFCC since his arrest in January 2016.
The senior advocate added,
“He has remitted colossal sums of money to the Federal Government, although not
in admittance of guilt, but out of cooperation with security agencies.
“My application is that
bail be granted to the 1st defendant on self-recognisance. Let those terms be
liberal. He has been reporting to the EFCC, sometimes twice a week. The 1st
defendant will make himself available for trial.”
Also, Mr. Norrison Quakers
(SAN), leading Mr. Kemi Balogun (SAN) and other lawyers for 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th
and 8th defendants, urged the court to grant their clients bail on liberal
terms.
He submitted that his
client had been cooperative since his arrest, adding that the accused had
health challenge.
“The Commission is aware of
it. My humble application is that your Lordship grant bail on liberal terms.
Incidentally, the 2nd defendant is on administrative bail by the commission. He
will be available for trial”, he submitted.
Counsel for the 3rd, 9th
and 10th defendants, Mr. A. Etuokwu, also urged the court for bail.
The prosecuting counsel,
Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the bail applications but urged the court to
give stringent conditions that would secure the defendants’ attendance in
court.
In his ruling, Justice Buba
granted them bail to the sum of N500m each.
He remanded the 1st and 3rd
defendants in prison while the 2nd defendant was remanded in the EFCC custody
pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
The judge ruled, “Each
defendant is granted bail to the sum of N500m with two sureties with landed
properties within the jurisdiction of the court. The sureties shall deposit
their title documents to the registrar of the court while the EFCC must verify
them.”
He added that the sureties
must swear to affidavit of means to be verified by the EFCC while the
defendants deposit their passports to the court as well.
He adjourned trial to July
8.
According to the charge,
the defendants on or about March 5, 2014, in Lagos, “conspired amongst
themselves to commit an offence, to wit: Conversion of the sum of N21.5bn,
property of the Nigerian Air Force, which sum was derived from stealing, and
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the
same Act.”
They were also accused of
indirectly converting the sum of N3.6bn belonging to the NAF among others.
Punch
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