By Ola Kay
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has declared that it recovered more than N5bn and $10m from contractors and government officials indicted in the fraud in the turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries located in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.
Sunday PUNCH reports that the anti-graft agency was at the verge of recovering another N10bn and $13m allegedly diverted through contractors engaged in the maintenance of the refineries.
Further report has it that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, took personal charge of the investigation, following his displeasure with the non-functional refineries despite the huge sums expanded them to get them working.
Recall that the nation’s four refineries have been comatose for years despite several failed efforts to get them working again
The anti-graft body is reported to be investigating the sum of $1,559,239,084.36 allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740,669,600 released for the Kaduna refinery, and $656,963,938 approved for the Warri refinery.
The rehabilitation of the old refineries , according to sources at the EFCC had at different times resulted in sharp practices which included over-invoicing,questionable payments and contract inflation. The fallouts also attracted public outcry as concerned Nigerians demand accountability in the process.
EFCC sources revealed that former management teams of the troubled refineries were interrogated in connection with the irregularities that characterized the failed attempt to deliver functional refineries.
According to the PUNCH, one of the sources said the Commission had concluded investigations into some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited allegedly involved in the flawed rehabilitation contracts and was preparing charges against them.
“Our investigation into the turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt, have yielded major discoveries of large- scale fraud.
“Investigators discovered fraudulent dealings through over-invoicing, contract inflation and questionable payments were largely responsible for the malfunctioning of the refineries.
“Specifically, investigations flagged former management teams of the three refineries who were arrested several times and grilled to uncover fraudulent dealings that have not made the refineries deliver optimal benefits to Nigerians.
“A total sum of $10m and N5bn have so far been recovered from suspects indicted in the fraud. The recoveries were made from some contractors and government officials involved in over-invoicing and inflated payments,” the source explained and hinted that certain serving and retired members of the management of the NNPCL and that of the refineries are likely to face imminent trial.
According to the source, “Investigations are already concluded on some officials of the NNPCL involved in the rehabilitation contracts and the commission is ready to file charges against them.
“Both former management and present management of the NNPCL and refineries may be charged.”
Further findings revealed that the EFCC was on track to recover additional sums.
Shedding more light, the source disclosed that, “While we have recovered some money, another $13m and N10bn discovered to be siphoned through contractors engaged in the maintenance are due to be recovered.”
it was further gathered that the EFCC was probing fresh allegations of contract inflation worth about $40m, allegedly involving NNPCL officials and some contractors engaged to procure equipment for the rehabilitation projects allegedly inflated in the neighborhood of $40million involving some officials of NNPCL.
Meanwhile, the PUNCH quoted a senior official of the EFCC, who preferred to be anonymous as confirming the recovery efforts.
About The Author
