Corruption : See How Two Ministers, Pm Sec, and CoS diverted N35B arms fund



From a reliable source,we learn that the N35 billion loan, which was obtained from the Debt
Management Office, DMO, was for the award of contracts for the provision of logistics and equipment for Nigerian troops on peace-keeping missions under the Nigerian Contingencies in Peace Keeping Missions, CADEP.

However, documents obtained  last night indicated that the bulk of the cash was diverted by the ministers, permanent secretary and a Chief of Staff to the President at the time, using fronts to cover as genuine contractors who did not only disappear with the cash but also provided substandard facilities that the troops have not been able to use till date, in some cases.

According to the  documents, it also showed that the contractor, Richfield Technologies, which was used as front to divert the funds, exposed how the top government officials dictated to him how to share the cash, instead of executing the contracts and got full payment, even when the jobs were not satisfactorily executed.

 Also the defence ministry officials ordered the full payment of the cash to the contractors when the equipment were yet to be supplied in full, some of the facilities supplied were discovered to be substandard and could not be utilized by the military till date.

It was also gathered that some of the contracts were later terminated by the ministry after all the cash had been paid to the contractors without any refunds made to government by the defaulting contractors, making the nation to lose huge sums of money.

The document, which is now before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, details how the cash was taken, who got what and how much and how the cash was paid out to the beneficiaries after the jobs had been given out by the ministry. It was learned that part of the cash had been traced to the acquisition of two mansions in Asokoro district of Abuja for two former top government functionaries, while others requested for and got cars for themselves, wives and associates.

“The ownership of the two property has been traced and confirmed by the Abuja Geographic Information System, AGIS, Development Control Department, while EFCC has already begun moves to get them forfeited to the Federal Government.

Already, the Managing Director of the four firms: Richfield Technologies Limited, VTB Exports &Imports Limited, Freerose Limited and African Integrated Services Limited that got the defence contracts, (names withheld) 47, has been quizzed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on why he failed to deliver on the jobs given to him and has spoken out on what transpired between his companies and the officials who awarded him the jobs.

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