High profile corruption: Dangote, Danjuma, ors indicted in Panama Papers’ scandal

In our review of high profile corruption trials today, Africa’s riches man, Aliko Dangote, former Army Chief and Minister of Defence, Retired General Theophilus Y. Danjuma and others were indicted in Panama Papers’ scandal.

Also, Engr. Samuel Ibi Gekpe and others were were accused of criminal breach of trust in the sum of N5 billion in the purported award of rural electrification contract scam.

Read on:

Aliko Dangote, Theophilus Danjuma and others (Panama Papers’ scandal)

The Panama Papers are leakage of sensitive documents detailing how political world leaders, celebrities, athletes, FIFA officials and so on, have concealed money using anonymous Shell Corporations across the world.

The 11.5 million documents held by Panama-based Mossack Fonseca were released to Süddeutsche Zeitung, a German Newspaper, and an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Since the revelations were made, several countries have taken major steps to prosecute their citizens and officials involved, but reverse is the case in Nigeria.

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his predecessor David Mark; a former Delta State Governor, James Ibori; a former Army Chief and Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.); Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and his cousin, Sayu Dantata, are the prominent Nigerians named to have links with the offshore assets revealed in the Panama Papers.

Although the EFCC promised to investigate Nigerians fingered in the scandal, nothing has been heard.

Samuel Ibi Gekpe – N5 billion contract scam

Engr. Samuel Ibi Gekpe was arraigned along eight others on Thursday 14 May, 2009, on a-130 count charge in suit ID FCT/CR/39/2009 before the Federal High Court, FCT, Abuja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC).

They were accused of criminal breach of trust in the sum of N5 billion in the purported award of rural electrification contract.

The nine accused persons have also been separated in the charges on Friday 30th October, 2009.

The three lawmakers are jointly facing a- 62 count charge while the other six accused are jointly facing a-68 count charge.

The three lawmakers are: Hon. Godwin Ndidi Elumelu, House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Power; Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane, Senate Committee Chairman on Power and Hon. Jibo Mohammed.

The EFCC had accused Samuel Ibi Gekpe and some of the accused persons of delaying trial when they requested stay of proceedings on May 26, 2010.

At the resumed hearing of the matter before Justice Adebunkola Banjoko of the Federal High Court, FCT Abuja on Wednesday, April 18th, 2012, the witness said investigation into the alleged fraud revealed a lot of abuses in procurement processes which culminated in the award of contracts to only eighteen companies (18) in the pre-qualified list out of one hundred and thirteen (113) companies that eventually benefited from the grid extension contract.

Moreover, all the companies in the grid extension contracts were discovered to have only one official address and their contract letters signed by one Miss Uduak.

It was further disclosed that none of the prequalified companies benefited from the solar- based system contracts which were finally awarded to forty-five (45) companies belonging to some officials of the agency and members of the national assembly.

On February 14, 2018, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Gudu, Abuja, convicted and fined Engr. Gekpe.

He and other directors of the agency were charged for disregarding the provisions of the Public Procurement Act by misappropriation of N6 billion.

The defendants, represented by Paul Ewekoro (SAN), made a no case submission, which was dismissed.

On a February 8, 2018 verdict, Justice Banjoko dismissed the first defendant’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charge.

The court found that the prosecution proved the ingredients of the offences of criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.

Justice Banjoko held that the defendants, who disregarded Public Procurement Act, misappropriated over N6 billion in contract payments.

She convicted and sentenced Gekpe to three years imprisonment with an option of N5 million fine.

The judge also sentenced the other defendants to three years imprisonment but with an option of N500,000 fine each.

The fines were to be paid within 30 days from judgment day. Case closed

Read also:

High profile corruption: How Ayodele, Adabanya, ors stole over N10b from CBN, SPDC

[This Publication includes part of a compendium by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) covering corruption cases as at 22nd of November, 2019.