Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Ex-NIMASA DG Who Was Bundled Into EFCC Bus Gets Fresh Charges Over Another N34bn Fraud

A day after he was dramatically re-arrested by the EFCC in front of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, the commission has slammed two fresh separate charges in two different courts against the embattled former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Patrick Apkobolokemi, and several other accomplices.

In one of the fresh charges, filed at the same Federal High Court, Akpobolokemi faces 40 counts of fraud and money laundering for the sum of N34.5billion.

In the second, which was filed at the Lagos State High Court, he is accused of stealing another
N600million. Both charges were yet to be assigned as of the time of this report, but the embattled man is said to be battling to secure bail from EFCC custody, pending his arraignment.

Sources at the EFCC said they re-arrested Mr. Akpobolokemi following fresh evidence of fraud.

He was bundled into a bus on December 14 following the adjournment of his trial by Justice Ibrahim Buba at the Federal High Court in Lagos where, along with five others, he is facing criminal charges to the tune of N2.3billion filed against them by the EFCC. 

Akpobolokemi's arrest is on the strength of fresh evidence that he converted the sum of over N11.7b, and another N816,000,000 (totaling nearly N13billion), meant for the development of the temporary site of the proposed Nigeria Maritime University, Kurutie, in the Warri South LGA of Delta State, into his personal use. 

The suspect was said to have obtained a presidential approval of N13billion through the office of the then NSA, Sambo Dasuki, for the acquisition and development of a temporary site for the proposed institution.

Out of the total approved amount, a sum of N11.7billion was allegedly paid into a company suspected to be owned by Chief Government Oweize Ekpemopolo, a.k.a Tompolo.

After the said money was paid, investigation further showed that N6billion was further moved into another account belonging to an associate of the indicted DG. Furthermore, the sum of N816million allegedly obtained through a presidential approval for the implementation of the Voluntary International Maritime Organization Members State Audit (VIMSAS) in Nigeria, was also allegedly diverted for personal use.

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