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JUDICIARY

Malabu Oil, Others Fail to Comply with Money Laundering Law – Witness

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By Gowon Emakpe, Abuja

Apart from Malabu Oil, which registered as a consultancy firm, the rest of the companies linked to the fraud and Aliyu Abubakar, were registered to carry out construction activities.

Mr Temitope Erinomo, a prosecution witness told a Federal High Court in Abuja, Thursday, how Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and six other companies charged with fraud in the Oil Prospecting Lease 245 transactions, had allegedly violated the money laundering law.

Erinomo is the Principal Compliance Officer at the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering in the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investments.

He gave his testimony as the first prosecution witness in the case of 67 counts of money laundering involving about $800m instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), against Malabu Oil, the six other companies and Abubakar.

Apart from Malabu Oil and Abubakar, the rest of the defendants are A-Group Construction Company Limited, Rocky Top Resources Limited, Mega Tech Engineering Limited, Novel Properties and Development Company Limited, imperial Union Limited and Carlin International Nigeria Limited.

All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the 67 charges.

Led in evidence by EFCC Prosecuting Counsel, Bala Sanga, Erinomo said while Malabu Oil was registered as consultancy firm, the rest of the companies allegedly with link to Abubakar, were registered to carry out construction activities.

Erinomo said in his evidence-in-chief that considering the status of the seven firms as construction and consultancy firms, they were designated by the Ministry of Trade and Investments as Designated Non-Financial Institutions.

According to him, such firms were designated as DNFI in 2013 because of their high tendency of being used for money laundering.

Erinomo explained that the DNFI firms were mandated by the Money Laundering Prohibition Act to, among others, be registered with the ministry, submit statutory reports of their activities, and declare qualified transactions to the ministry and the EFCC.

He added that the firms were also required by law to put in place anti-money laundering measures, set up an internal audit to measure the effectiveness of the measures and appoint a compliance officer from among the members of the management staff.

He said the from the companies’ charters of organisation, they did not comply with the provisions of the money laundering law.

“We searched through our registration database and report database. We find out that these companies have not made any declaration to the ministry in compliance with the Act.

“We also found out that they do not submit their statutory reports to the ministry and the EFCC.

“They have not made the declaration of their activities to the ministry.

“They do not have a record of measures they have taken to combat money laundering.

“They do not have an internal audit unit to measure the effectiveness of the measures they have taken to combat money laundering.

“They do not appoint a compliance officer from among the management staff to ensure compliance.

“They also do not carry out training for their staff on anti-money laundering measures.

“We also uncovered several transactions that were not reported to EFCC.”

The witness also tendered reports of his findings, through the prosecuting counsel, and was admitted as exhibits.

Under cross-examination by Malabu Oil’s lawyer, Mr J. A Achimugu, Erinomo said he carried out an off-site inspection to ascertain the alleged violations by the firm.

JUDICIARY

Kano High Court Affirms Ganduje’s Suspension

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A Kano State High Court has restrained the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.

Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, on Wednesday, made the order, following an exparte motion filed by Dr Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two APC executive members of Ganduje ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area.

The plaintiffs are the party’s Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani, and its Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo.

The duo are among the nine ward executive members who suspended Ganduje from the party at the ward level, two days ago.

The respondents in the case include, All Progressives Congress (APC), APC National Working Committee (NWC), APC Kano State Working Committee (KSWC), and Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Granting the motion, Na’abba made an order restraining Ganduje from parading himself as APC National Chairman.

The court further made an order directing Ganduje to henceforth, desist from presiding over all affairs of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

The court directed the respondents to henceforth maintain status quo ante belum as from April 15, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April, 30.

Justice Na’abba also granted the plaintiff’s prayer which ordered the APC SWC, from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by two thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.

“An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (1st), APC National Working Committee (2nd), Kano State Working Committee APC (3rd), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (4th), to maintain status quo ante belum as of 15th April, 2024.

“The order thereby restraining the 1st respondent (APC) from recognizing the 4th respondent (Ganduje) as member of APC and prohibiting the 4th respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legal and valid decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.

“That the 4th respondent (Ganduje) is prohibited from parading himself as member of APC or doing any act that may portray him or seem to be a member of APC, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”.

It will be recalled that nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano state government.

The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of APC from Ganduje’s polling unit.

In the petition, Adamu made allegations of corruption charges against the former governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party against the backdrop of President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

Following the failure of the Ward Chairman and Secretary to act on the petition, nine members of the executives, led by the legal adviser, acted and took the decision that led to the suspension Ganduje. (NAN)

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JUDICIARY

Businessman Jailed 1 Year for Stealing Car Gearbox

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A Jos Magistrates’ Court,  on Wednesday, sentenced a 28-year-old businessman, Peter Sunday to one year imprisonment for stealing motor parts valued at N200,000.

The Magistrate, Mr Shawomi Bokkos, summarily sentenced Sunday after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos, however, gave the convict an option to pay N30,000 and a compensation of N100,000 to the complainant.

The magistrate held that the punishment would serve as deterrent to other would-be offenders.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp  Labaran Ahmed, told the court that the case was reported on March 19, at the “B” Police station Bukuru by one Stephen Dung, the complainant.

The prosecutor alleged that the convict had trespassed into a mechanic workshop and stole the gearbox.

He told the court that the convict was however, apprehended at the point of his wanting to sell the stolen item.

The offence, according to him, is punishable under the Plateau state Penal Code Law. (NAN)

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JUDICIARY

Security Guard Jailed 3 Months for Stealing 25 Litres of Diesel

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Court Sentences Applicant to 6 Months in Prison for Stealing Cell Phone
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A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday sentenced a 29-year-old security guard, Harow Mali to three months imprisonment for stealing 25 litres of diesel.

The Judge, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily sentenced Mali after he pleaded guilty.

Bokkos, however, gave the convict an option to pay N10,000 fine.

The judge said the punishment would serve as deterrent to other would-be offenders.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Labaran Ahmed told the court that the case was reported on March 20, at the “A” Police station Jos by one Yab Sunday, the complainant.

The prosecutor said  the convict was caught with the 25 litres of diesel by the Police.

The offence, according to him, is punishable under the Plateau state Penal Code Law. (NAN)

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