After Yoruba ruled Nigeria for 8 years, this was what we got
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-349566.0.html

Bank Ole must go.

N540m Car Scandal: EFCC Indicts House Principal Officers .
Sunday, 27 June 2010 00:00 By Marcel Mbamalu News - National .User Rating: / 5
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.EVEN as the House of Representatives leadership is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of corrupt disbursement of N9 billion voted for capital projects, more trouble seems to be brewing from other sources.
The body language of the anti-graft agency indicate that it could resuscitate the car supply scandal that trailed the purchase of 380 Peugeot 407 cars from Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria (PAN) Ltd by the House.
In a 14-page report dated February 20, 2009, addressed and forwarded to the then President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the EFCC said some officers and members of the House of Representatives actually have questions to answer in respect of the alleged scam in the purchase of 380 Peugeot 407 cars from PAN by the House.
The EFCC had launched a full-scale investigation into the matter after an alleged case of “criminal conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds,” was reported to the Commission by Mr. Festus Keyamo, of Festus Keyamo Chambers, Abuja.
Although the presidency has not made any official statement on the issue in the last two years, the petition titled: “Petition against Dimeji Bankole and the Leadership of the House of Representatives over fraud perpetrated in the supply of 380 cars,” which was written in 2008, was accepted by the Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs. Farida M. Waziri, and referred for investigation. But exclusive documents acquired by The Guardian, at the weekend, confirmed that the crime-fighting agency had actually released its investigation report since 2009 with a request for further directive from the Presidency.
Decision on the car supply contract was first taken at the December 12, 2007 executive session of the House during which members passed a resolution for the purchase of 380 units of Peugeot 407 for the oversight functions of the committee chairmen. The House later acquired the said number of cars, hence executing the contract as planned.
But Keyamo subsequently alleged, in his petition, that a contract for the purchase/supply of the said vehicles was awarded to PAN at the cost of N5,100, 000 (Five Million, One hundred Thousand Naira) each, totaling 1,938,000,000 (One Billion, Nine Hundred and Thirty-eight million Naira), but the leadership of the House instead purchased 380 units of Peugeot 407 ‘Comfort’ at N6, 209,175 each totaling N2, 359,486,500 (Two Billion, Three Hundred and Fifty-nine Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-six thousand, Five Hundred Naira), “thereby overpaying themselves fraudulently for each vehicle with over N1,109,175 (One Million, One Hundred and Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-five Naira, thus misappropriated the total sum of N539, 460, 825.”
The EFCC, upon the receipt of the petition, sent a team of its detectives to the National Assembly, where they held discussions with the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Commission also recorded statements from the then Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Nasiru Ibrahim Arab, and the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr. Niyi Ajibode.
It also recorded statements from the National Assembly’s Directors, Estate & Works, Idris Muhammad Mahdi, Legal Services, Muhammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, Planning and Legislative Budget, Muhammed Kabir Suleiman, and Ag. Director, Finance and Supplies, Bukoye Lasisi.
The agency also undertook a ‘duty journey’ to PAN, Kaduna, from where various documents were recovered, and wrote to several banks and other establishments, including the Code Of Conduct Bureau and the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Indeed, the anti-graft agency, after conducting its investigation into the matter, among other findings, concluded that there was a contract between the management of the National Assembly (House of Representatives, to be precise) and Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Ltd, which occasioned the payment of the sum of N2, 359,486,500 (Two Billion, Three Hundred and Fifty-nine Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) to PAN. The payment was reportedly confirmed by the CBN to have been made in three tranches.
At the weekend, when The Guardian contacted the Deputy Speaker, his aide declared “We cannot comment on report that we have not seen.”

Yoruba rules in crime in Nigeria
Please add Bank[b]ole[/b] in the ''being investigated'' list.


Bankole facing probe on 3 corruption cases -ICPC
Written by Lanre Adewole
Friday, June 25, 2010


THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is probing the  Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, over three different alleged corruption cases, Nigerian Tribune learnt on Thursday.







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Commission's spokesperson, Mr. Folu Olamiti, confirmed to our correspondent that the alleged N5.2 billion Rural Electrification Project, the N2.3 billion car scam and the latest N9 billion scam have been receiving the attention of the anti-corruption agency.


Bankole has been accused of involvement in the electrification project scam in which he allegedly employed his family members and cronies as contractors, manipulated as the brains behind the car scam, as well as the recent N9 billion capital vote scam.


Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri, had described the House as a haven of corruption scandals while receiving a petition on the alleged scam from members of the House dubbed The Progressives, who have been pushing for the probe of the alleged scandal.


The same group, according to Olamiti, submitted a copy of the petition to the ICPC at noon on Wednesday.


Olamiti disclosed that investigation had commenced into the allegations against the Speaker, with the Nigerian Tribune being told that investigations into the two other alleged scams had reached an advanced stage.


It was further learnt that the ICPC set the necessary machinery in motion for a thorough investigation of allegations of corruption against the speaker, with the chairman, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, setting up a special unit to probe the allegations of the mismanagement of the capital vote for 2008.


A rights group, Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP), had also petitioned the ICPC, asking it to commence instant investigations into the allegations by the Progressives against the House leadership as a means of returning transparency and accountability to the National Assembly.


SERAP and the Progre-ssives group specifically asked the ICPC not to gloss over the allegations against the speaker of the House of Representatives, especially the approval the leadership gave for the purchase of four units of Range Rover Jeeps; three units of Mercedes Benz S-600 cars for the use of the speaker and his deputy to the tune of N335,500,000.


They also asked the ICPC to look into the allegation that the House leadership purchased LCD 40 Samsung LNS 341 for members at N525,000 per unit, allegedly above the market price for the product, which was put at N180,000 per unit.


The groups also encouraged the ICPC to expedite action on the two other alleged scams, in the course of handling the fresh case against the speaker, most especially an allegation that some members of his family were beneficiaries of contracts on national rural electrification project.


The SERAP petition, signed by Mr Adeto-kunbo Mumuni, read in part: "We are seriously concerned that the above allegations constitute grave breaches of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act 2000, the Public Procurement Act 2007, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption which Nigeria has ratified.


"We are further concerned that allegations of corruption by lawmakers would undermine the credibility of the legislative process and impede the ability of the House to effectively play its constitutional role or to provide the necessary leadership in the anti-corruption fight.


"The allegations also amount to a grave breach of constitutional provisions and would undermine the constitutional role of the House of Representatives to make law for the good and development of the country."


SERAP, therefore, urged the ICPC to make public the outcome of its investigations, adding that "the commission should ensure the recovery of any money that is the subject of corruption and ensure that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice."


Olamiti, while confirming the receipt of the petitions, said the commission would do a good job on the cases.