Fraudulent Billing Scheme for Iraq, Afghanistan Reconstruction Contracts- Former Louis Berger Group Inc. CEO Charged

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NEWARK, NJ—The former president and CEO of New Jersey-based international engineering consulting company Louis Berger Group Inc. (LBG) surrendered to the FBI this morning to face a six-count indictment alleging he led a scheme to intentionally overbill the United States in connection with hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas reconstruction contracts over a nearly 20-year period, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman announced.

The indictment, which was returned yesterday and unsealed today, charges Derish Wolff, 76, of Miami and Bernardsville, N.J.—who was president and CEO of LBG from 1982 to 2002 and more recently served as the chairman of LBG’s parent company, Berger Group Holdings Inc.—with one count of conspiring to defraud the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and five counts of making false claims in connection with those billings.

The indictment alleges that while at LBG, Wolff conspired to defraud USAID by billing the agency on so-called “cost plus” contracts—including hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for reconstructive work in Iraq and Afghanistan—for LBG’s overhead and other indirect costs at falsely inflated rates.

Wolff is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark, N.J., federal court.

“The indictment alleges that during decades at the helm of a company entrusted with the rebuilding of battle-scarred nations Derish Wolff focused on profits over progress,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “Wolff allegedly used his position to lead others in the scheme, setting targets that could be reached only through fraud. Especially when representing our business practices overseas, there is no excuse for playing fast and loose with the taxpayers’ tab.”

“Today’s arrest of Derish Wolff represents personal accountability for allegedly defrauding the U.S. government out of millions of dollars,” said Michael B. Ward, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Division of the FBI. “According to the indictment, by instructing his company to pad costs involving foreign reconstruction efforts at falsely inflated rates, he attempted to enrich himself at taxpayer expense. At a time when the U.S. government was attempting to build relationships and trust within the Middle East, Wolff sought profits over patriotism, and commercial gain over corporate duty.”

“This indictment alleges that Derish Wolff conspired to defraud USAID and the Department of Defense through a scheme of intentional overbilling and the filing of false claims,” said Edward T. Bradley, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “Such schemes, perpetrated by dishonest contractors and individuals, erode public confidence and deny full support to the mission of our brave men and women serving in the military services. The American taxpayer expects the DoD and Defense Criminal Investigative Service to be champions of fiscal accountability and acquisition integrity and these charges demonstrate the commitment of DCIS and our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate procurement fraud allegations.”

“Thanks to the diligent efforts of USAID special agents and auditors, as well as the perseverance of our interagency partners, fraud against the U.S. government will not be tolerated,” stated USAID Acting Inspector General Michael G. Carroll.

“This case highlights the importance of imposing accountability upon those who use wartime contracting for their own criminal purposes,” said Stuart W. Bowen Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. “I applaud the hard work of the investigative team, which included agents from my staff, for pursuing this case to its conclusion. Defrauding the U.S. taxpayer must be stopped by bringing to justice those who engage in it.”

According to the indictment and other documents filed and statements made in court in this and related cases:

USAID is an independent federal government agency that advances U.S. foreign policy by supporting economic growth, agriculture, trade, global health, democracy, and humanitarian assistance in developing countries, including countries destabilized by violent conflict. The agency awarded LBG, formerly based in East Orange, N.J., and now in Morristown, N.J., hundreds of millions of dollars in reconstruction contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other nations. LBG calculated certain overhead rates and charged USAID and other federal agencies those rates on what are known as “cost plus contracts,” which enabled LBG to pass on their overhead costs to the agency in general proportion to how much labor LBG devoted to the government contracts.

From at least 1990 through about July 2009, LBG, through Wolff and other former executives, intentionally overbilled USAID in connection with the contracts in a scheme carried out by a number of LBG employees at Wolff’s direction.

Regardless of the actual numbers, Wolff targeted a particular overhead rate and ordered his subordinates to achieve that target rate through a variety of fraudulent means. From at least as early as 1990 through 2000, Wolff ordered LBG’s assistant controller to pad time sheets with hours ostensibly devoted to federal government projects when that employee had not actually worked on such projects. Wolff ordered this subordinate to instruct the accounting division to do the same.

At an LBG annual meeting in September 2001, Salvatore Pepe, 58, of Tuckahoe, N.Y.—who was then the controller and eventually became the chief financial officer—presented a USAID overhead rate that was significantly below Wolff’s target. In response, Wolff denounced Pepe, called him an “assassin” of the overhead rate, and ordered him to target a rate above 140 percent, meaning that for every dollar of labor devoted to a USAID contract, LBG would receive an additional $1.40 in overhead expenses supposedly incurred by LBG.

In response to this instruction to target an overhead rate, Pepe and former Controller Precy Pellettieri 55, of Rahway, N.J., with Wolff’s supervision, hatched a fraudulent scheme to systematically reclassify the work hours of LBG’s corporate employees, such as those in the general accounting division, to make it appear as if those employees worked on federal projects when they did not. Pepe and Pellettieri, at Wolff’s direction, reclassified these hours from approximately 2003 through 2007 without the employees’ knowledge and without investigating whether the employees had correctly accounted for their time, at times over an employee’s objection.

In addition to padding employees’ work hours with fake hours supposedly devoted to USAID work, Wolff instructed his subordinates to charge all commonly shared overhead expenses for LBG’s Washington office, such as rent, to an account created to capture USAID-related expenses, even though that office supported many projects unrelated to USAID or other federal government agencies.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison; each of the false claims counts carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. Each of the six counts also carries a maximum $250,000 fine, or twice the loss from the offense.

On Nov. 5, 2010, Pepe and Pellettieri each pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz to separate informations charging them with conspiring to defraud the government with respect to claims. They await sentencing. Also on that date, LBG resolved criminal and civil fraud charges related to Wolff’s and others’ conduct. The components of the settlement included:

  • A deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), according to which the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey suspended prosecution of a criminal complaint charging LBG with a violation of the Major Fraud Statute; in exchange, LBG agreed, among other things, to pay $18.7 million in related criminal penalties; make full restitution to USAID; adopt effective standards of conduct, internal controls systems, and ethics training programs for employees; and employ an independent monitor who would evaluate and oversee the company’s compliance with the DPA for a two-year period;
  • A civil settlement that required the company to pay the government $50.6 million to resolve allegations that LBG violated the False Claims Act by charging inflated overhead rates that were used for invoicing on government contracts; and
  • An administrative agreement between LBG and USAID, which was the primary victim of the fraudulent scheme.

The settlement took into consideration LBG’s cooperation with the investigation and the fact that those responsible for the wrongdoing are no longer associated with the company.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ward; the DoD Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bradley; USAID, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Inspector General Carroll; and the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, under the direction of Special Inspector General Bowen, with the investigation leading to today’s Indictment.

U.S. Attorney Fishman also reiterated his thanks to those whose work regarding the civil investigation was critical to the settlement with LBG. The civil investigation was conducted by special agents and auditors within the Office of Inspector General for USAID. Audit support was also provided by the Defense Contract Audit Agency. The settlement was negotiated by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott B. McBride of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit, and Joyce M. Malliet of the Office’s National Security Unit.

The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anambra PhotoNews: The Propaganda, Healthcare, Education, Erosion & Environment

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Awka

247ureports.com has embarked on a pictorial overview of State administration’s performance in governance and implementation of budgeted promises – of select States in the Nigerian Federation.

First in the series is Anambra State. Performance in Education, Healthcare, Erosion and Environment were evaluated.

Education:

A visit to a sample secondary school in Anambra State was used to evaluate the State administration’s performance in the area of Education and Educational insfrastructure. Nanka Community Secondary School in Orumba North Local Government Area [LGA] was visited. As a caveat, a minimal average of N1.055billion is earmarked by the State administration annually for infrastructural development of secondary schools and Equipment – particularly N915million was earmarked in the 2008 Budget for infrastructural development of secondary schools while N140million was earmarked for equiping the secondary schools.  [see subhead 7 & 8 below]

Contrasting the earmarked amount over 5years of the present Anambra State administration – equivalent to N5.8billion – against the state of the instrastructure in Nanka Community Secondary School depicts a discrepancy that may be symptomatic of a deeper administrative incapabilities. [see picture below]

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Healthcare

Anambra State government budgets an annual minimum average of N1.25billion to Health – out of which N400million is earmarked for the rehabilitation and re-equipment of General Hospitals. Over the 5 years of the present state administration,it amounts to N2billion  for the rehabilitation and re-equipment of General Hospitals. [See suheading 2 below]

The General Hospital at Mbaukwu was used as a sample case. The picturial view of the facility shows what appears a discrepancy. [see pictures below]

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Erosion & Environment

The minimum annual average earmarked in the Anambra State budget for Environmental Development and Management is N3.185billion – out of which N2billion is earmarked for Erosion Control annually. For 5years, it is equivalent to N10billion for Erosion Control.

Umuchiana Ekwulobia Gully Erosion project was used as a sample case. The present administration had claimed to have sunk N700million into the rehabilitation project. But the road appears to be sinking. See pictures below.

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Awka Metropolis

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Libya’s Gaddafi caught hiding like a “rat”

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(October 20, 2011)
By Tim Gaynor and Taha Zargoun | Reuters   

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) – Muammar Gaddafi called the rebels who rose up against his 42-years of one-man rule “rats,” but in the end it was he who was captured cowering in a drainage pipe full of rubbish and filth.
“He called us rats, but look where we found him,” said Ahmed Al Sahati, a 27-year-old government fighter, standing next to two stinking drainage pipes under a six-lane highway.
Government fighters, video evidence and the scenes of sheer carnage nearby told the story of the dictator’s final hours.
Shortly before dawn prayers on Thursday, Gaddafi surrounded by a few dozen loyal bodyguards and accompanied by the head of his now non-existent army Abu Bakr Younis Jabr broke out of the two-month siege of Sirte and made a break for the west.
But they did not get far.
NATO said its aircraft struck military vehicles belonging to pro-Gaddafi forces near Sirte at about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) on Thursday, but the alliance said it was unsure whether the strikes had killed Gaddafi.
Fifteen pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns lay burned out, smashed and smoldering next to an electricity sub station some 20 meters from the main road, about two miles west of Sirte.
They had clearly been hit by a force far beyond anything the motley army the former rebels have assembled during eight months of revolt to overthrow the once feared leader.
But there was no bomb crater, indicating the strike may have been carried out by a helicopter gunship, or had been strafed by a fighter jet.
Inside the trucks still in their seats sat the charred skeletal remains of drivers and passengers killed instantly by the strike. Other bodies lay mutilated and contorted strewn in the grass. Some 50 bodies in all.
Gaddafi himself and a handful of his men escaped death and appeared to have ran through a stand of trees toward the main road and hid in the two drainage pipes.
But a group of government fighters were on their tail.
“At first we fired at them with anti-aircraft guns, but it was no use,” said Salem Bakeer, while being feted by his comrades near the road. “Then we went in on foot.
“One of Gaddafi’s men came out waving his rifle in the air and shouting surrender, but as soon as he saw my face he started shooting at me,” he told Reuters.
“Then I think Gaddafi must have told them to stop. ‘My master is here, my master is here’, he said, ‘Muammar Gaddafi is here and he is wounded’,” said Bakeer.
“We went in and brought Gaddafi out. He was saying ‘what’s wrong? What’s wrong? What’s going on?’. Then we took him and put him in the car,” Bakeer said.
At the time of capture, Gaddafi was already wounded with gunshots to his leg and to his back, Bakeer said.
Other government fighters who said they took part in Gaddafi’s capture, separately confirmed Bakeer’s version of events, though one said the man who ruled Libya for 42 years was shot and wounded at the last minute by one of his own men.
“One of Muammar Gaddafi’s guards shot him in the chest,” said Omran Jouma Shawan.
Army chief Jabr was also captured alive, Bakeer said. NTC officials later announced he was dead.
Fallen electricity cables partially covered the entrance to the pipes and the bodies of three men, apparently Gaddafi bodyguards lay at the entrance to one end, one in shorts probably due to a bandaged wound on his leg.
Four more bodies lay at the other end of the pipes. All black men, one had his brains blown out, another man had been decapitated, his dreadlocked head lying beside his torso.
Joyous government fighters fired their weapons in the air, shouted “Allahu Akbar” and posed for pictures. Others wrote graffiti on the concrete parapets of the highway.
“Gaddafi was captured here,” said one simply.
From there Gaddafi was taken to the nearby city of Sirte where he and his dwindling band of die-hard supporters had made a last stand under a rain of missile and artillery fire in a desperate two-month siege.
Video footage showed Gaddafi, dazed and wounded, but still clearly alive and gesturing with his hands as he was dragged from a pick-up truck by a crowd of angry jostling group of government soldiers who hit him and pulled his hair.
He then appeared to fall to the ground and was enveloped by the crowd. NTC officials later announced Gaddafi had died of his wounds after capture.
(Writing by Jon Hemming Editing by Maria Golovnina) 

Archbishop celebrates birthday with 850 prison inmates

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From Chuks Collins, Awka

Oct 20, 2011

 

 

THE Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province , Most Rev Valerian Okeke yesterday celebrated his 58th birthday anniversary in a low key with the 850 inmates of the Onitsha Prisons, urging them not to be fainthearted, but to be hopeful that God knows and cares for them just like every other citizen.

 

The Archbishop, who had spent over N10 million to rehabilitate and furnish structures within the prison, pledged yesterday to facilitate the construction of skills acquisition center for the inmates to enable them acquire skills that would enable them resettle peacefully after serving their term.

 

He said he was motivated to share his birthday with them to give them sense of relevance, love and to let them have hope because they are all part of the human family and sons and daughters of God. He encouraged them to ensure they come out better than they entered.

 

In a sermon he delivered during a Mass in the prison, Archbishop Okeke said: “As prisoners, God has plans for you. You should bear in mind that this place is only a reformation center and not a place for people to lose hope in life. The reason I decided to celebrate my birthday here is for you to know that you are not forgotten.

 

“Though I quietly mark my birthday every year, I decided to celebrate it with you this year because we are all equal before God. I want people to know that the fact that people are in prison does not mean that they are the most guilty as everybody is a sinner before God”

 

“I can see that the age bracket of the inmates range between 20and 40 years and we should do everything humanly possible to give them a sense of belonging and help to reform them so that they can become better citizens when they are discharged.”

 

 

He requested for total cost of building a modern skills acquisition center, that would have different sections for shoemaking, soap making, computer studies, barbing/hairdressing , tailoring, bread making and among other sections. He said he would approach public spirited parishioners to help actualize the project soonest.

 

 

The cleric brought food, snacks for the inmates and the officials and also donated two live cows, bags of water, clothings, assorted fish and 20 bags of rice to them. He also donated detergents, toilet soaps, biscuits, drinks and cash for their upkeep.

Conditions For Subsidy Removal Highlighted

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By Emmanuel Dagogo,  sendaggy@yahoo.com, 08033390569

A Niger Delta youth activist has described the proposed subsidy removal by the Federal Government of Nigeria as wicked and ill timed.  He wondered why an oil producing Nation like ours will be importing fuel and thinking of removing subsidy on such import thereby making the masses to suffer untold hardship in spite of what they are already going through.

The youth leader who could not hide his displeasure over the matter, noted that the Government should be thinking of how to get the existing refineries working and new ones up and running within the shortest possible time, at which point it may become bearable to remove any phantom’ subsidy’  because then import related variables like freight charges, Forex differentials, Custom duties, multi layered bribes and corruption would have gone off the price template, this he stated makes more sense rather than the voodoo economic idea being fed to the masses.

Dagogo noted that the Government so loathe the so called cartel that it so hypocritically cannot name members of this so called cartel. He wondered why the biggest beneficiaries like the Tinubus, Otedolas of this so called gain from subsidy have become the crafters of our national economic policy.

 The secretary of the youth economic contact group a non Governmental organization noted that Nigerians will be willing to buy petroleum products at market prices within a sensible definition of ‘market’ and not within a senseless definition of ‘market’ that includes the very high cost of freight, demurrage, corruption and institutional inefficiency for a country that should be exporting fuel.

 He further opined that the removal of subsidy is not a big deal but noted that the Government should meet the following conditions; Name the members of the so called ‘cartel’ , make considerable improvements in infrastructural development, health care delivery, power supply, education, security of lives and properties, a drastic change in the manner Government business is handled, finally and very importantly the reduction of the jumbo pay packages and allowances of Government officials in tandem with the new national minimum wage.

Emmanuel Dagogo is a Social and Public Analyst based in Port Harcourt

BreakingNews: Ngige Wins, Dora Loses Again, Tribunal Tosses Dora Akunyili’s Petition

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Information coming out of Tribunal seating in Awka, [Anambra] indicate that the Tribunal Panel of Judges have dismissed the petition raised by the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA] senatorial candidate [Prof. Dorothy Nkem Akunyili] for the Anambra central senatorial district in the recently concluded National Assembly elections of April 2011.  

According to the information gathered by 247ureports.com, the tribunal tossed the petition following what it deemed as abandonment by the Dora Akunyili team. As gathered, the Dora Akunyili team of lawyers had failed to complete and submit a “pre-trial” [TF008] form to the tribunal – and when it was brought to their attention that they had failed to do so, the lawyers attempted smuggling the document into the registry but failed in the attempt – as they were caught. The act was termed “a fraudulent act” by the Tribunal.

Following the failed attempt to smuggle the said document, the Dora team of lawyers stopped participating in the Tribunal cases, Prof Dorothy Nkem Akunyili stopped making appearances and travelled out of the country.

Meanwhile, The tribunal has switched gears. It is presently hearing the case between Dozie Nwankwo vs. Uche Ekwunife. Both Dozie Nwankwo and Uche Ekwunife has concluded their presentations. The INEC witnesses are presently taking the witness box. Judgement is expected next week.

Stay tuned

US Offers $1.5b Facility for Nigeria’s Power Expansion

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(Abuja, Wednesday, 19 October 2011). Nigeria and the United States today in Abuja signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that enables independent power producers in Nigeria to access up to $1.5billion facility to purchase equipment and services from the United States.

The facility is managed by the United States Export Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank), a government agency that provides export-credit insurance and financing, among other services, to help foreign buyers purchase US goods and services.

Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, signed the MOU on behalf of the government of Nigeria while Mr. Fred P. Hochberg, Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President, signed for the government of the United States at a brief ceremony in the Ministry’s conference room.

Prof. Nnaji described the agreement as historic, as it gives investors in the power sector access to US goods and services which will help boost Nigerian’s bid to expand its electricity infrastructure.

Mr. Hochberg, on his part, promised that the Ex-Im Bank would do more: “$1.5 billion is just a start… The bank will certainly consider additional financing if needed,” he said.

Asked by newsmen when the facility would be available, he said that the bank has opened for business in Nigeria and is awaiting orders from credible independent power producers.

“We want to deploy this financing as quickly as possible to help meet President Goodluck Jonathan’s goals for growing the Nigerian economy by greatly expanding the availability of power in the country,” he said.

Prof. Nnaji commended the speed with which the Bank’s president responded to the issue which he raised with Mr. Hochberg only a couple of weeks ago in Washington when the Minister represented President Goodluck Jonathan at an economic summit meeting.

He spoke of government’s initiatives to expand investments that will lead to a three-fold increase in the quantum of power within three years, and the incentives that are being put together to encourage private foreign and local investors to achieve the target.

Among these are government policies and programmes to assure a cost-reflective tariff, a bulk power trading company that manages a government guarantee of payment for power producers who supply to distribution companies, and the on-going privatization of public power generation and distribution companies.

He also commended Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, who facilitated the visit and accompanied the team for his hard work in the area of pushing forward Nigeria’s current economic diplomacy initiative.

Among the dignitaries that witnessed the signing ceremony were the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Power, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, Ambassador Adefuye and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria,Mr. Terence McCulley. The Ex-Im Bank team included newly appointed First Vice President and Vice Chairman, Wanda Felton, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Alice Albright, among other top officials.

EFCC Accuses Fayose Of Delaying Trial

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PRESS RELEASE

  …As Court Grants Akwe Doma N300 Million Bail

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, October 19, 2011, accused a former governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, standing trial on an 80 count charge bordering on corruption and money laundering, of employing delay ploys and antics all aimed at frustrating his trial. Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, told a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti,  presided over by Justice E.A,. Obile, that the refusal of the defence counsel to allow trial to proceed owing to an application brought before the court seeking the quashing of the charges preferred against Fayose’s co-accused persons- Spotless Investment Limited, Fayerio Nigeria Limited and Hoff Concept Ltd was a deliberate attempt to prolong his trial.

At the resumed sitting of the court on Wednesday,  defence counsel, Abayomi Sadiku, prayed the court to hear an application he filed  seeking to quash all the  charges preferred against Fayose’s co-accused. Rotimi Jacobs opposed this submission vehemently saying the last adjournment of the court was to resume Fayose’s trial, and not to hear the defence counsel’s application.  He also said that he was served the defence’s counsel application in court  just before proceedings started.  “The motion served on me this morning is not in the business of the  court today.  The matter is for trial. I have mobilized my witnesses from Lagos . The charge he is challenging was filed in 2009, three years after he is seeking to quash the charges, that application is not ripe for hearing”, he said.

 He urged the court to take into cognizance the EFCC Act which demands  accelerated hearing of corruption charges. “I urge the court to give effect to the Commission’s Act by giving accelerated hearing to the case.”  Jacobs also canvassed that the application can still be taken as the counts which the 2nd and 3rd accused persons wanted the court to  drop cannot  interfere with the charges against the first accused person  and that the witnesses he was presenting were in court because of the first accused person. However counsel to  Ayodele Fayose,  Otunba K. Kalejaiye, SAN urged the court to dismiss the submission of Rotimi Jacobs, saying that, a matter of jurisdiction and competence of the charge should be given  priority.

He also said that it will be wrong to hear  the case piecemeal as it was a joint trial. On his part,  counsel to the 4thaccused person, Ahmed Tarfa also asked the court not to hear the case, alleging  that he was not served all relevant court processes.   

The EFCC, re-arraigned  Fayose and the three others on an 80 count charge before Justice Obile on July 5, 2011 at the Ekiti Federal High Court after Fayose challenged the jurisdiction  of the Federal High Court Lagos on the grounds that the alleged offences were committed in Ekiti State . The case was subsequently transferred to Ekiti State where it started denovo. Fayose was first arraigned in 2009 on charges of corruption and money laundering.

In another development, a former governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, and eight others who are facing a 17 count charge of money laundering preferred against them by the by the EFCC  were on Wednesday, October 19, 2011, admitted to bail on stringent conditions by a Federal High Court, sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa state.

 

In his ruling on the bail application, Justice Marcel Awokulehin granted ex-governor Aliyu Akwe Doma bail in the sum of N300 million and two sureties in like sum. Eight others were granted bail in the sum of N200 million each and two sureties in like sum. One of the two sureties must own property in any metropolis within the jurisdiction of the court. The second surety must be a civil servant in either federal or state government service not below level 15. All accused persons to deposit their international passports with the court. They are to remain in EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail.

 

 

The former governor and the eight others were on Tuesday October 18, 2011, arraigned on a 17 count criminal charge of laundering stolen state funds totalling over N15 billion. The ex-governor was arraigned along with Senator John Dangoyi, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, Timothy Anthony Anjide, Dauda Egwa, Suleiman Ibrahim, Broworks Ltd and Green Forest Investment Ltd while charges filed against two other accused, John Aigbakhode and Incapint Nig Ltd who are still at large were stepped down.

   

At the resumed sitting, the prosecution filed his application opposing the request by the accused to be granted bail. Justice Awokulehin, who had earlier assured both the prosecution and the defence of his preparedness to give the case expeditious trial.

 

The case has been adjourned till December 6 and 7, 2011, for the substantive trial.

 

One of the charges against Doma and others reads: “That you Aliyu Akwe Doma (Former Governor of Nasarawa state), Timothy Anthony Anjide and Dauda Egwa between January 2007 and December 2009, in Lafia, Nasarawa State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N5, 000, 000,000 (Five Billion naira Only) property of Nasarawa state Government being proceeds of an illicit act to wit: Concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.

 

Femi Babafemi

Head, Media & Publicity

19/10/2011

Non Indigenes Sack: Anambra Assembly May Go To Court

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*Abia loses Chief Judge, Uzokwe to the policy

*Assembly berates Gov Orji, S/E Forum

The Anambra State house of Assembly has indicated its readiness to back the state’s indigenes recently sacked by the Abia state Government for reasons other than that they were not from that state to seek a legal redress before a court of competent jurisdiction.

This, the Assembly noted, was with an aim to stem the ugly policy before it catches on in other states of the federation.

The Assembly had in a six-point resolution yesterday when it received in audience the embattled workers noted that the action of Gov Theodore Orji was clearly ill-conceived and ill-advised, and negates the provisions of Sec 42(1)(a) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

While berating the Abia state governor resolved in a motion to send a strongly-worded letter of protest to him to point out all the flaws contained in the new non-indigene policy.nambra state has in his state.

The resolution which read in part, “His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, the Governor of Anambra state and chairman, South East Governors Forum, is passionately urged to interfere by employing appropriate channels to prevail on his counterpart the governor of Abia state to rescind this patently unconstitutional policy.

“Upon the intervention of the Governor of Anambra state as aforesaid and nothing is done to normalize this obvious abnormality by the Government of Abia state, the affected Anambra state indigenes should be encouraged and in fact assisted by the Government and people of Anambra state to take appropriate steps as required by the law to seek redress against the Government of Abia state.”

Amongthe affected workers was thee incumbent acting Chief Judge of Abia state, Justice Theresa Uzokwe, from Anambra state.

A member of the Anambr state Assembly, Kene Chukwuemeka (ACN, Awka South 1) while appealing to Abia to recall them in the true spirit of Igbo affinity, noted that Gov Orji was so excited when he received the 30-member Assembly early in the year during their retreat at Umuahia. “Gov Orji had excitedly told us of his immense joy for our choice of Abia state for the retreat. That he saw it as a measure of confidence the government and people of Anambra state has in his state. He went on to assert with satisfaction that more than 70% of all landed property in the state were owned by people of Anambra state origin.

“It was therefore shocking to learn that such a public officer would turn a whole 360 degrees to treat the same Anambra people with such levity and wickedness.”, the lawmaker stressed.

About 1800 of the affected disengaged workers led by their spokesperson, Chief Domnic Ezeh stormed Awka Government House and state Assembly in tears yesterday. He disclosed that they were paid off in September.

The Secretary to the state Government who received them it was against the spirit of national unity, brotherhood and Constitution of Nigeria. But the Commissioner for Information and Culture Maja Umeh said they are consulting and have already taken it up with the Abia Government. Non of the government officials was able to confirm or deny moves by the Anambra state Government to retaliate.

It however alleged that the relationship between Abia and Anambra state governors have been very cold especially after the earlier failed attempt by Orji to join the All Progressives Grand Alliance. That it was why nothing was done to mitigate the policy especially when it was first muted three months ago.

Last year during the prolonged Anambra state University strike that the Chairman of the Joint Advisory negotiating Council Vinc Asoegwu described the South East Governors Forum as a mere talk shop that yields or benefits no one. The forum would have checked the non-indigeneship policy.

Jos Crisis: Nigerian Soldiers Kill Six Muslim Youths, Local Chief

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Information available to 247ureports.com through sources in North Jos indicate that the calm in Jos might have been irreversibly interrupted by the unwarranted gruesome killing of six Muslim youths and a Maiangwa Chief by Nigerian Soldiers in revenge for the Saturday killing of  Nigerian Soldier by Muslim/Hausa youths along Ali Kazaure Road in Northern Jos.

According to eyewitness reports in the Hausa/Fulani dominated community, the Soldier on Saturday October 15, 2011 was patroling the community alone without his partner when the local Muslim/Hausa youths found him and laid an ambush for him. The soldier was cornered and hacked to death by the Muslim youths using locally made matchettes and knives. His riffle was then stolen by the youths.  Incidentally, it was gathered that the killed Nigerian soldier was a Muslim and an indigene of Kogi State.

Acting in revenge, the Nigeria Soldiers attacked the Muslim community on the night of Sunday October 16, 2011 using information received from Muslim informants living in the community. The soldier were said to have retrieved the riffle of the late soldier. In the late night attack, six Muslim youths and a local Chief were reported to have been killed. The identity of the Chief is yet to be ascertained. 

The Maiangwa community remains under tension.  

Stay tuned

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