Barring
any last hitches, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to
arraign a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; a former Minister
of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman; a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited; and
one Jimoh Yusuf for an alleged N1.5bn fraud.
The
anti-graft commission will also on Wednesday arraign a former Senior Special
Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr.
Waripamowei Dudafa, for an alleged N1.6bn fraud.
An
impeccable source at the anti-graft agency said that Fani-Kayode, Usman and
Yusuf would be charged with 17 counts bordering on money laundering and fraud.
The
source added, “We have filed charges against Fani-Kayode, Usman, Yusuf and a
company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited. Yusuf was the signatory to the account
of Joint Trust Dimensions Limited. They will be arraigned before a Federal High
Court in Lagos this week.”
The
EFCC had arrested Fani-Kayode and Usman for their role in the sharing of a N4bn
campaign fund during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
The
money was said to have emanated from the account of the Office of the National
Security Adviser domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The
money was said to have been transferred to the account of JTDL and then
distributed to some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Usman,
who was the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation,
was alleged to have transferred N840m into the Zenith Bank account of
Fani-Kayode with account number 1004735721, domiciled in Maitama, Abuja.
Fani-Kayode
was said to have received the funds in three tranches.
The
first tranche of the payment, involving N350m, hit the account on February 19,
2015. Another N250m was also paid into the account on February 19, 2015, while
N240m was credited to the account a month later; precisely on March 19, 2015.
Apart
from Fani-Kayode, others, who also received the funds, were the Chairman of the
Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae (N100m); a former Governor of Imo
State, Achike Udenwa; while a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,
Viola Onwuliri, also got N350m in two tranches while Nenadi Usman took N36.9m.
A
coalition of pro-Jonathan groups, headed by a former Special Adviser to the
President on Political matters, Prof. Rufai Alkali, also received N320m.
The
accounts of those accused of receiving funds have since been frozen by the
EFCC.
Usman
has returned about N23m to the EFCC while two of her properties in Abuja have
been seized by the anti-graft agency.
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Politics