EFCC investigates Chime's in-law over N14m fraud

By Adelani Adepegba

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is presently investigating Ngozi Mgbeke, the sister-in-law to Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, over alleged forgery, impersonation and receiving N10m under false pretences.



[b]Ngozi is the elder sister to Chime's new wife, Clara, who got married to the governor in October 2008 at Amuda Isuochi, Abia State.

Her investigation was prompted by a petition to the commission by the family of late Anayo Mgbeke (Ngozi's husband), who had a thriving haulage business in Enugu before he died in a motor accident in April 2007.

In the petition signed by the solicitor to the family, Okey Obikeze, the complainant (Mgbeke family) said since Anayo died, there had been a dispute between Ngozi and other members of the family concerning the money and other property generated from the said business

It was alleged that while efforts were being made to resolve the dispute, Ngozi, acting against a subsisting court order, conspired with some lawyers and falsely used the name of her mother-in-law, Chinyere Mgbeke, to fraudulently obtain a letter of administration from the court with which they withdrew N10m from a family account with a commercial bank in Enugu.

She was said to have also used the name of her mother-in-law without her consent to obtain over N4m owed the family by a construction company under the false pretence that she was the sole beneficiary and owner of the said money. [/b] The Public Relations Officer of the EFCC in Enugu, Blessing Ekeleme, said she did not know the level of investigation into the case, noting that her office did not handle petitions, but only gets brief of arrest after detectives might have concluded their work.

An investigator with the agency however confirmed that the matter was being investigated and that arrests would soon be made.

The Mgbeke Family in a separate letter to the Nigerian Bar Association and the Attorney-General of the Federation, complained about the "professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming of legal practitioners."

"We are greatly alarmed by the time; the way and manner the said letters of administration were obtained. It is our view that it is highly unprofessional for (lawyer's name withheld) to write and state that Chinyere Mgbeke (one of our clients being the mother of late Christian Anayo Mgbeke) consulted him/her when he/she was not actually consulted by Chinyere Mgbeke," part of their petition said.

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