THERE seems to be no end to the pension fund scam.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered another N9billion fraud in the Police Pension Office.
The cash was withdrawn between 2007 and 2008. Some of the six suspects standing trial over the N32.8billion police pension scam are said to have been involved.
The six suspects on trial before Justice Abubakar Talba of the FCT High Court in Gudu are the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira.
The anti-graft agency has kept key witnesses who will testify against the six suspects in protective custody.
These facts are contained in a counter-affidavit deposed to in court by the EFCC through one of its detectives, Simon Iorzua, who was a member of the team that discovered the N32.8billion scam.
The EFCC’s deposition reads in part: “That the team is still investigating the accused/applicants on account of other funds allegedly misappropriated by them while at the Police Pension Office.
“That apart from the present charge, our team also discovered that the accused/applicants in the period of 2007 – 2008 withdrew N9 billion with First Bank and there is an ongoing investigation on the involvement of the accused/applicants.
“That our team further stumbled on some other accounts being operated by the accused/applicants in other commercial banks which they did not disclose to our team during interrogation.
“That the Commission is still investigating other complaints against the applicants bordering on money laundering, fraudulent acquisition of properties and misappropriation of public funds.”
The EFCC expressed concern about the safety of some of its key prosecution witnesses.
Although the commission did not give the exact figure of the witnesses in the affidavit, a source said “they are more than 10”.
The affidavit added: “That the accused/applicants corruptly enriched themselves as public servants and diverted the funds of the Police Pension Office to their personal use.
That I know as a fact that the evidence gathered against the Applicants by my team is overwhelming...
“That some of the proposed prosecution witnesses are civil servants who worked with or under the accused/applicants as junior workers at one time or the other.
“That many of the proposed prosecution witnesses are now apprehensive and some of them are in protective custody as a result of continuous threat to their lives by the applicants’ agents and persons connected with them.”
The anti-graft commission gave the details of its investigation and specific findings on how the funds were looted.
It added: “That the EFCC received an intelligence report to the effect that over N19 billion was withdrawn from the account of the Police Pension Office by 5th Applicant (Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula) herein in violation of the e-payment circular and the financial regulation.
“That it was alleged in the intelligence report that at various times, the 1st – 3rd accused/applicants (Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo and Ahmed Inuwa Wada) in collaboration with the other applicants, authorised the fraudulent withdrawals of the said funds and shared same among themselves.
“That the Commission accessed the intelligence report and found same to be credible. The intelligence report was further referred to my team for further investigation.
“That my team went into action by investigating the case and our investigation revealed the following:
“The 1st accused/applicant (Esai Dangabar) was the director in the Police Pension Office between 2008 and 2009.
“That the 2nd accused/applicant (Atiku Abubakar Kigo) was a director in the Police Pension Office between February 2010 and February 2011.
“That the 3rd accused/applicant (Ahmed Inuwa Wada) was a director in the Police Pension Office between February 2010 and June 2011.
“That the 4th accused/applicant (John Yakubu Yusufu) was an Assistant Director, accounts in the Police Pension Office between February 2009 and September 2011.
“The 5th accused/applicant (Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula) has been with the Police Pension Office since 1999 and she is currently the cashier of the office.”
The 6th accused/applicant (Sani Habila Zira) “is the Head of ICT (Information Communication Technology).
EFCC officials quiz Ondo Assembly’s accountant, two others over alleged fraud
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested the Ondo State House of Assembly’s accountant, Akin Akinnagbe, and two other principal officers over alleged misappropriation of funds.
The anti-graft agency reportedly stormed the assembly complex at 2pm on Tuesday. They took away Akinnagbe and the two others to their Abuja office for interrogation.
The Nation learnt that EFCC officials were acting on a petition sent to them by a human rights activist, Mr Morakinyo Ogele.
Ogele had alleged that Speaker Samuel Adesina mismanaged N900million meant for the execution of projects in the parliament.
The petitioner had listed how the funds were allegedly mismanaged.
The petition reads: “Twenty-four million naira, being the amount approved for fumigation of House of Assembly’s exterior and interior with teller number 00560016;
•“N18million, being the amount approved for a five-day retreat at MIcCOM Golf, Ada, Osun State, and purchasing of spare parts for mechanical workshop with N1 million;
•“N46mllion, being the amount approved for the supply and installation of wireless intercom system with 200 capacity extension (Teller number 00560099) and N36million for purchasing of back-up Perkins generator for the House 500KVA soundproof (00560096); supply and installation of 80 units of 60 waits/20VZ security light;
•“N25million, being the amount approved for the printing of 2012 calendar with Teller number 00560029; publication of personality profile brochure for Assembly, with N12million and Teller number 0056122.”
Though some principal officers of the Assembly declined to comment on the matter, sources confirmed that the trio was invited for interrogation.
EFCC officials were in Akure, the state capital, to arrest the Chairman, State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Otunba Debo Ajimuda, over alleged misappropriation of over N61billion belonging to the agency.
He was released on bail after about a week in EFCC custody.
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