The House of Representatives committee on Aviation, this
afternoon began hearing on the purchase of two armoured cars for the aviation
minister, Stella Oduah, at the cost of N255 million.
The hearing was earlier scheduled to hold on Tuesday but was
postponed to allow the minister, who was away in Israel for a bilateral air
service agreement signing, to return to the country.
PREMIUM TIMES’ National Assembly correspondent, Ini Ekott, will
provide you with updates as they unfold from the hearing room. (Start reading
from bottom)
18:00
Today’s session closed. Minister expected tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Thank you for following our live blog. See you tomorrow.
16:17
The committee said it has been informed the minister is on
transit-likely from Israel-and will arrive Nigeria later today.
The minister has asked to appear Thursday afternoon, but the
committee said she has to be in attendance for the last time by 10am Thursday
as the committee must complete its work Thursday.
15:45
The cars inspected by the House committee yesterday, Tuesday,
are different from the ones stated in the documents between NCAA and Coscharis,
the reps said.
Lawmakers say they saw
cars with different chassis number from those on the communication between NCAA
and Coscharis.
But Coscharis said since
it did not inspect the cars with the House members, it cannot say whether that
was the car they delivered to NCAA. The firm insists it has done no wrong.
15:31
Coscharis admits telling the Ministry of Finance/NSA the cars
were meant for Lagos state government, but said the arrangement was a usual
“sponsor practice” for an event like the sports festival, and there was nothing
wrong with that.
The company insists it did not lie. It said during events the
company gives cars for use by government, in exchange for waivers that would be
used for importing new ones as replacement.
With a lot of gusto, Coscharis said it price was right. But
lawmakers have busted that claim by revealing that the firm sent different
prices to NCAA and NSA.
Coscharis also claims the car in question goes for about N87 .7
million(factory price) without tax, shipping etc.
But a lawmaker has confirmed that he received a quotation from an
American firm for the same car for about N42 million.
Jerry Manwe( a member): “Your own bullet proof is not
manufactured in the moon”
Coscharis says a seven series in America is different with what
they got from Europe.
Again, the committee said the cars they inspected yesterday are
different9in terms of chassis number) from those stated in the documents
between Coscharis and NCAA.
15: 07
Coscharis’ Maduka: To the best of my knowledge, we followed all
due process. We were interviewed by SSS. We were interviewed by the National
Security Adviser. Every due process by law was followed. “We do business with
morality,” he says.
Another Coscharis official: Armoured cars are in levels;
Level B7 is the highest for any civilian/VIP armoured cars. More than that is for
military tanks.
Coscharis: The controversial cars are level B7. The BMW 760
series, bought by NCAA, goes for 418 thousand Euro from factory without
shipping cost, taxes, etc.
Coscharis offers to demonstrate a powerpoint to show how it
arrived at the cost. But is disallowed by committee.
14.55
Coscharis’ Maduka: “People have spoken, different media have
written, I kept quiet. Nobody has called me to ask anything. But I thank God
for this opportunity to state my own side of the story.”
“People have called me from US embassy to ask when did you start
money laundering.”
He says the whole controversy is “politically motivated”. He
pleads to be allowed to speak.
Mr Maduka said the matter is so important that his Uncle died
and will be buried tomorrow, but he has to attend the sitting.
He said he is prepared to give details how Coscharis arrived at
the price.
14.46
First Bank asked to step aside. Coscharis takes over.
Coscharis chief, Cosmas Maduka, calls the car scandal “very
controversial matter that has made newspaper headlines for two consecutive
weeks” as he takes the hot seat.
14.37
First Bank cannot explain how the loan given to NCAA for all its
54 cars climbed from earlier stated N564 million to N643 million.
The bank claimed earlier that the difference was because the two
armoured cars were not included-apparently untrue because of the cost.
Under questioning by the committee, the bank now says only the
NCAA can explain the difference; the bank says it was only concerned about what
the NCAA as a customer asked for.
“Our job as financier are based on what the customers are asking
for”
14.29
Interaction with First
Bank representative continues…
First Bank: The armoured BMWs were not part of the
first order from NCAA which comprised mainly Land Cruisers totaling less than
N600 million.
House chair, Nkiruka Onyejeocha: So
could it be that the BMWs were an afterthought?
First Bank: That’s for the NCAA to answer.
14.24
“Absence of the minister is a slap on the face of the House,”
Jerry Manwe, a member of the committee from Taraba state said, apparently
angered by the minister’s absence.
14.23
First Bank official, Seyi Oyefeso, that oversaw the transaction
addressed the House committee on behalf of the Executive Director of the bank.
First Bank was invited to
make proposals alongside other banks and tender was opened publicly on 21 of
May, 2013 in the presence of other banks and media
First Bank was afterwards shortlisted alongside 7 others.
First Bank granted a loan
facility of N643 million for purchase of assorted cars.
14.19
The Customs representatives at the hearing said Coscharis lied
to the Ministry of Finance and NSA, making them to believe that the cars were
for Lagos state government, for the National Sports festival.
The NSA office issued End User certificate without knowing that
it was doing so for cars to be delivered to Stella Oduah or the NCAA.
So, in a way, the NSA office is right to have told PREMIUM TIMES
it did not issue end user certificate for any bullet proof cars for Minister
Oduah and the NCAA.
14.11
Deputy Comptroller
General of Customs, Manasa Daniel Jatau, said the following
The two cars were
imported through Tin Can Port 2; Imported from Antwerp Netherlands.
The vehicles were cleared 19/6/2013.
Coscharis imported the cars without paying import duties since
there was a waiver from the ministry of finance.
Coscharis obtained the waiver claiming the armoured cars were
part of 300 vehicles imported for the Sports festival in Lagos last year, and
therefore the beneficiary was Lagos state government.
The due import duty should have been N10.1 million.
The cars had an End User Certificate from the NSA office in the
name of Coscharis.
The waiver obtained by Coscharis was for one year; as such the
time of importation this year was covered.
Customs admit its laws
requires that it enforces duty on any item for which waiver was obtained, which
was not used for the purpose stated-in this case, for Sports festival.
13.53
Car dealers as well as end users of armoured cars are mandated
to seek authorization from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA,
before ordering or importing such vehicles into Nigeria.
Last
week, reliable sources at the office of the NSA told PREMIUM TIMES no
authorization certificate was ever issued to either Minister Oduah or the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to procure the controversial vehicles.
13.50
Nigerian Customs confirmed that the two cars were imported and
cleared at Tin Can 2.
The Customs said the import duty on the two cars which should
have been N10 million plus were not paid because there was a waiver note issued
by the finance ministry.
Customs also confirmed there was an End User certificate issued
by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA.
13.43
The hearing, proposed to start at noon, started 25 minutes late.
The minister is absent at the hearing. The committee said it will take a
position on that later.
Courtesy :Premium Times
Tags
Politics