$20m Eastern ports scam: FG silent on indicted 4
ex-NPA top shots, Cyprian firm
ON August 24, 2017 12:53 AM / IN News / BY
Adekunle / Comments
We’re following due process — NPA



ABUJA – More than three months after the Swiss
government alerted its Nigerian counterpart that
some top officials of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA,
connived with a Cyprian firm to defraud the nation of
over $20 million through bribe-for-contract, the
Federal Government is yet to take action against the
suspects.



The firm, Dredging International Services (Cyprus)
Limited, which formed a company known as The
Bonny Channel Management Company since 2005
with the NPA, is reported to have executed contracts
worth N714 billion for the Federal Government,
especially in creating and maintaining a safe
navigational passage for marine users along the
Eastern Ports of Bonny Island, Onne and Okrika in
Rivers State.


Findings by Vanguard showed that while the Federal
Government holds 60 percent shares in the firm, the
Bonny Channels Management keeps 40 per cent of
the equity in the company, which had been executing
major jobs for the NPA for the past 12 years.


But a top Federal Government official told Vanguard,
yesterday, that the government was weighing options
on the alleged $20 million bribery scandal involving
the company and some former NPA officials.
The top government official said it was wrong to
conclude that the Buhari administration would gloss
over any established corrupt practice by any official,
no matter their status.


The official pointed out that since the Swiss
government raised the flag on the suspected Cyprian
firm and the Nigerian officials, the NPA had opted to
seek legal advice on what to do with the suspects so
as to deal with the matter in a way that would give
the country respect before the international
community.


The legal opinion being sought by the Federal
Government followed a May 1, 2017, Swiss Federal
Prosecutor’s Office’s indictment report that about
$20million was paid as bribes to some NPA officials
between 2007 and 2011.


However, a top source said the administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari would not gloss over
the bribery scandal, which had already caught the
attention of the world.


“What the government is trying to do is to follow due
process. So far, the NPA said it has sought advice
from its Legal Unit and as a major shareholder in the
Joint Ventures; the government is awaiting its input.”
“But the relevant anti-corruption agency is already
investigating the bribery scandal. At the appropriate
time, Nigerians will be informed of the outcome of
the ongoing investigation and the position of the
government.”


Among the likely actions planned by the government
are to terminate the JV with the Dredging
International Services (Cyprus) Ltd and others in the
consortium; imposing sanctions on the indicted
company, including banning it from any further
business with NPA; filing of fresh charges against
the company in Nigeria like the case of Halliburton
scandal; and prosecute officials of the company
and ex-NPA top shots who were also implicated.
The officials said: “The new management of NPA,
headed by Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, is on a mission
to sanitize the agency and it will not sweep the
scandal under the carpet.


“We are trying to follow due process by opting for
legal advice from the relevant unit. Since the new
management came on board, it has embarked on
drastic measures to rid the system of corrupt
practices. But political meanings are being read into
our policies and actions.


“When we acted on Intels, there was uproar and there
was another measure put in place which a former
Head of State was angry with.


“At the end of the day, we will lay all the cards on
the table on the bribery scandal involving Dredging
International Services (Cyprus) Ltd and take the best
decision in the overriding interest of this country.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/08/20m-eastern-ports-scam-fg-silent-indicted-4-ex-npa-top-shots-cyprian-firm/

I doubt those guys are "propagandable" as such they will be prosecuted quietly.

hmmmmm

APC! Change! Say again!..........louder.*Walks away*