N16.6bn fraud: Court grants ex-gov Suswam’s 3 associates N100m bail each

….remands them in Suleja prison
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday remanded three associates of former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam in Suleja Prison pending when they perfect the N100m bail bond and other conditions granted them by the court.

The associates; Solomon Wombo, the former Special Adviser to the ex-governor on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Asen Sambe, the former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs

and Isiah Ipevnor the former Director of Accounts and Finance in the state’s Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs were arraigned before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Monday in a nine count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering.

Each of them pledged not guilty to each of the charges . Ruling on their bail application Justice Dimgba said giving that the offences the defendants were charged with are bailable, they are admitted to bail in the sum of N100m each with one surety each.

The surety, the judge added, should be either businessman or civil servant of the rank of assistant director and one of them must own landed property in Abuja worth N400m while the person standing surety as a civil servant must deposit copies of first letter of appointment with the court registrar.

All sureties must produced two recent copies of passport photographs ,drivers licence and verifiable residential addresses while the defendants are to deposit their international passports with the registrar of the court.

The Federal Government, through Attorney-General of the Federation and minister of Justice had preferred nine counts charge against the defendants after it was discovered that they diverted the sum of N16.6bn from Benue State’s bank accounts dedicated for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and the Joint Allocation Account for Local Government funds.

They were said to have between June 27, 2011 and May 29, 2015 diverted the total sum N16,604,314,604.01 belonging to the 23 Local Government Councils of Benue State.

Part of the sum diverted includes N7,032,333,506.28 from the state’s “SURE-P Local Government component” bank account into the account of Benue State Local Government Joint Account with the aim of concealing the money and for their own personal benefits.

The defendants also between June 27, 2011 and May 29, 2015, diverted the sum of N5,342,028,098.73 paid into the state Local Government Joint Account by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation of the state.

They were also said to have between, June 15, 2012 and May 29, 2015 diverted another sum of N4,230,953,000 from the state’s Local Government Joint Account into the Benue State Association of Local Government of Nigeria “with the aim of concealing the money being property derived directly from corruption”.

“Conspiracy to transfer property derived directly from corruption contrary to Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 15 of the same Act.

The defendants were also accused of “transfer of property derived directly from corruption contrary to Section 15(1)(a)(ii) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under the same Section of the Act”.

They also face charges of “conversion of property derived directly from corruption contrary to Section 15(1)|a)(ii) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.”

They are also charged with offences of “obtaining by false pretence contrary to Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, Cap A6 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act”.

The charges read in part, “That you Solomon Wombo (m), former Special Adviser to former Governor Gabriel Suswam on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Chairman,

Joint Account Allocation for Local Government Committee of 30 Spring Road Sun-city Estate, Abuja; Asen Sambe (m), former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Secretary, Joint Account Allocation for Local Government Committee of No 1 Kungo Sambe Street, Judges Quarters Makurdi;

and Isaiah Ipevnor (m), former Director of Accounts and Finance of BNA 1305, Off Abu Shuluwa Road, Makurdi, Benue State, between June 15, 2012 and May 29, 2015 at Makurdi, Benue State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court,

did transfer a total sum of about Seven Billion thirty two million, three hundred and thirty-five thousand, five hundred and six naira, twenty-eight kobo (N7,032,333,506.28), from Benue State Sure-P Local Government Component Account number 0760175012 domiciled with the First City Monument Bank (FCMB)

into Benue State Local Government Joint Account number 2017241513 domiciled 1with the First Bank of Nigeria the aim of concealing the money, being property derived directly from corruption.

“That you Solomon Wombo (m), former Special Adviser to former Governor Gabriel Suswam on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Chairman, Joint Account Allocation for Local Government Committee of 30 Spring Road Sun-city Estate, Abuja;

Asen Sambe (m), former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Secretary, Joint Account Allocation for Local Government Committee of No 1 Kungo Sambe Street, Judges Quarters Makurdi;

and Isaiah Ipevnor (m), former Director of Accounts and Finance of BNA 1305, Off Abu Shuluwa Road, Makurdi, Benue State, between June 27, 2011 and May 29, 2015 at Makurdi, Benue State,

within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did covert a total sum of about five billion three hundred and forty-two million, twenty-eight naira and seventy-three kobo (N5,342,028,098.73)

meant for the twenty-three (23) Benue State Local Government Councils paid by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation into the Benue State Local Government Joint Account number 2017241513 domiciled with the First Bank of Nigeria,

which you withdrew in cash With the aim of concealing the money, being property derived directly from corruption.

The matter has been adjourned to December 18, for trial.

Andrew Orolua, Abuja