The Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly (NASS), Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has allegedly defrauded the Delta state government of a whopping sum of N4 billion from contracts awarded him which were not executed.
According to source, it was learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has embarked on a probe of Nwaoboshi even as it was gathered that the senator allegedly operates 20 accounts in six banks with different signatories.
Nwaoboshi’s predicament started when an anti-corruption group petitioned him to the commission, exposing Nwaoboshi of using his company to purchase a 12-storey building known as Delta house in Lagos, belonging to the Delta State Government for N805 million.
Our source revealed that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) record showed that Nwaoboshi never declare all the companies and bank accounts he has despite being operational prior to the time he made the declaration.
The petition also alleged that the Nwaoboshi owns a firm which was awarded a N1, 580, 000, 000 contract by the Direct Labour Agency (DLA), to supply construction equipment but rather than following specifications, he supplied used equipment, contrary to the Bill of Quantity which specified new ones.
It would be recall that Nwaoboshi, one time state chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was sometime summoned to the state Assembly by members over the supplied of substandard China earth moving equipment but was given a soft landing by the then speaker and his summon shelved.
During his reign as PDP chairman, Nwaoboshi also used his firm to secure over N2 billion contracts from nine local government areas in Delta when it was yet to be registered under the Company and Allied Matters Act. The firm was alleged to have secured N474, 936,000 contract from the Waste Management Board to supply bulldozers, pay loaders and tipper Lorries.
It was gathered that in the course of investigations, the anti-graft agency, discovered that the equipment were used items contrary to contract specifications.
“We have traced five companies to the senator. We were able to detect that in the course of contract execution, his company imported and supplied used equipment, contrary to the specifications in the bill of quantity. Our team has discovered that the senator’s personal and companies’ bank accounts were linked to a bank verification number (BVN) which has more than 20 accounts domiciled in six banks. But his relative is the sole signatory to the accounts.
“They also located one foreign account identified with the senator in HSBC Bank in Marbile Arch London, United Kingdom. So far, the senator has questions to respond to bordering on false asset declaration, official corruption, procurement fraud, tax avoidance, false information, impersonation and embezzlement of public funds. We are almost concluding the investigation of the senator. We will soon invite him for interview.” a source in the commission disclosed.
Speaking to under the condition of anonymity, a PDP chieftain in the state described Nwaoboshi as a first class corrupt politician and boastful fraudster ever had in the party and entire Delta state.
“Do you know several millions of naira Nwaoboshi extort from contesters during elections, from councillors, chairmen, house of Assembly aspirants among others as chairman of the party in the state? Nwaoboshi is a thief, armed robber and international fraudster.” the PDP chieftain disclosed.
