How Fayose Looted Ekiti Treasury – Efcc

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, accused a businessman, Mr. Gbenga James, and an official of the state government, Mr Goke Olatunji, of using the controversial Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project to enrich Governor Ayo Fayose and his mother.

Skip to next paragraph
 
Punch Photo File
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose

In a 15-court charge of money laundering brought against the two men at a Federal High Court in Lagos, the EFCC alleged that James and Olatunji made a series of payments from the funds meant for the poultry project to Fayose and his associates.

The commission added that James,who is the Managing Director of Biological Concepts Nig. Ltd and Olatunji, the governor’s personal assistant,built a N9.25million house in Ibadan, Oyo State for Fayose.

The EFCC alleged that the accused did not only buy a N2.1million Mercedes Benz car for Fayose’s mother, they transferred N1.5million to one Chief Boboye Olanipekun.

James and his company, according to the charge sheet signed by Mr. S.K Atteh and dated July 25, 2006 paid N10million being part of the money meant for the poultry project to Fayose.

The charges read:

1. That you, James on the February 19, 2005 with intent to mislead, made a false statement under caution that you did not give Fayose any money out of the money received by Biological Concepts Nig. Ltd for the poultry project;

2. That you, Olatunji on July 24, 2006 with intent to mislead, made a false statement that you did not receive any money from James for onward transmission to Fayose;

3. That you, James and Biological Concepts converted N1.25 million from the amount meant for the execution of the poultry contract, to the construction of Fayose‘s House in Ibadan;

4. That you, James and Biological Concepts expended N9.25 million from the amount meant for the execution of the contract to the construction of Fayose‘s House in Ibadan;

5. That you, James transferred N4 million from the amount meant for the execution of the contract to Avian Specialities Nig. Ltd;

6. That you, James transferred N55, 636,171.15 from the amount meant for the execution of the contract to Avian Specialities Nig.Ltd;

7. That you, Avian Specialities Nig Ltd, collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt from the said James and Biological Concepts, N55, 636,171.15 from the amount meant for the poultry project;

8. That you, Avian Specialities collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt of the said James and Biological Concepts, the sum of N4 million;

9. That you James and Biological Concepts transferred N7 million from the project and converted it to £37, 600 and gave it to Fayose and Olatunji;

10. That you, Olatunji collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt from the said James and Biological Concepts, the sum of N7 million from the amount meant for the project;

11. That you, James and Biological Concepts transferred N7 million from the amount of the project and converted it to $50, 000 and gave it to Fayose and Olatunji;

12. That you, Olatunji collaborated with James and Biological Concepts through the receipt from the said James and Biological Concepts, the sum of N7 million from the poultry project;

13. That you, James and Biological Concepts expended N2.1 million from the execution of the project for the purchase of a Mercedes Benz car for the mother of Fayose;

14. That you, James and Biological Concepts transferred N10 million from the amount of the poultry project to Fayose; and;

15. That you, James and Biolgical Concepts transferred N1.5million from the poultry project to Olanipekun.

The offences are punishable under Section 39(2) of the EFCC Act, 2004 and Section 14 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

A firm, Avian Specialties Nigeria Limited, said to be owned by James, was joined as co-defendants to the suit.

The lawyer to the EFCC, Mr Wahab Shittu, had urged the court to allow the charges to be read to the accused.

But the counsel to James and his firm, Adekunle Oyesanya, opposed him on the grounds that he had just been served with a copy of the charge in court.

The lawyer to Olatunji, Mr T. O Durojaiye, aligned himself with Oyesanya.

Shortly after Shittu sought for a short adjournment, Justice Tijani Abubakar fixed August 1 for further hearing of the matter.

He also ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC‘s custody.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20060727385059



THIS IS WHAT I CALL ACTION GOVERNOR STEALING BY DISGUISE

This Ribadu is the new face Nigeria need to progress. I wish they can expunge the immunity clause the Governors have. cause most of this governor should be in Jail and not riding around with entourage.

i see no reason why these set of currupt governor should be allowed nto live peacefully in this country.uuuuuunnnnnnnnnnh any way, who can correct this, for the "beautyful ones are not yet born and the urgly once refuse to live" oniyeye gbogbo, stupid people 

Well I am from Ondo and I went to Ondo in December, and I was appalled by the condition of living in the state.  the only improvement I saw was the road. and even it wasn't constructed properly

Do you know the amount of money coming from the FG has increase since the coming of Fayose, little he those with the overflow people would say is trying, Have you forgotten the big fraud the poultry project, but he would go scot free from EFCC because he plays his card well , thats why i like him

That is not new to me but it is the same old shit government are doing and only God knows who is really serving the people. Have you not heard of of Governor that built refinery outside Nigeria?

Am not suprised because we have all seen it before and it is nothing new.

I am waiting for those EFCC critics to show face now.

Is Fayose one of OBJ's enemy? No

In fact, he is one of the closest of the south-west governors to Aso rock.

Let hope Justice is done on this matter.

can't be stated any better.

if you add all the money that is said to be stolen, it does not amount to over N100million. Again, will EFCC be able to prove a direct relationship between this funds and the executive governor before 2007? From the ways things are going, there might not be continuity after 2007.

The only reason this man(Gov Fayose) has not being arrested is that he enjoys immunity as a serving state governor and of because because he is close to baba iyabo dey no wan impeach am for now. Na God go punish all of them including baba iyabo as well na so so select justice them dey do,  soon enough God will avenge

Thanks so much for your intelligent comment.

I just don't know how people comment like that.

Imagine one member saying "population census was done to help OBJ's 3rd Term bid".

@ odeku na wa oh softly softly yab person which kin loaded statement be that say i make ignorant statement? so now i be ignoramus abi, no vex oh na so una Naija people dey do, instead make u talk say u no agree with me in simple english na abuse u come dey abuse me,No vex oh

lol fayose is a thief and is in cohorts with tribalistic and nepotic traditional leaders. lol can you imagine, as young as he is. he may be doing some good things, but a thief is a thief

Waoh, it is quite a pity that anything happens in this country called Nigeria.How could a Governor spend more that 1B naira in a poultry project? Anyway, we should have allowed him to finish everything so that may be some of the chickens could be able to lay tubers of yam while others would lay eggs so that there won't be any need to plant yam again since they produce the too.
Yam and egg.It is a pity.

Its a pity and so sad that, most of the governors are looters and executive/ glorified 419s !
Imagine stealing by stlye. imagine , a project that is not more than 50million being summed as 500billion !

I just pray hard that, prosecution of all these thieves and public funds converters wont stop because they are all thieves ! Awon oni je kuje. HABA !

Exactly, its not like OBJ elected the governors, all he can do is speak to them, he has no control over their activities, the house of assemble and the lay makers can impeach this people their are checks and balances in politics, that is what the law makers are there for, and if they are not doing their job, why are people still voting them in, this are the original criminals if you ask me, they have something in their cupboard, that is why they can't impeach all the ruthless governors.