BEVERLY HILLS, July 15, (THEWILL) – First Group, the Dubai firm whose Abuja office was sealed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged $200bn scam, has vowed to defend its commercial reputation in Nigeria.
THEWILL recalls that the EFCC, on Wednesday, sealed off the First Group Abuja office for its alleged involvement in the purchase of property in Dubai by Chief of Army staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai as part of the ongoing probe of the laundering of over $200billion loot in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by former political office holders.
“Operatives of the EFCC today, July 13th 2016, stormed the office of a Dubai property firm, The First Group Company, in Abuja,” the anti-graft body stated.
“The company is also being investigated for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians by luring them to invest in real estate in Dubai. A prominent Nigerian is alleged to have lost about $402, 000 in a phony real estate transaction with the company.”
However, a statement signed by Eve Humpreys, Director of brand and marketing communications of the Dubai firm described EFCC’s claims as baseless and denies allegations of wrong doing..
“The First Group categorically denies the baseless allegations published by certain sections of the Nigerian press regarding its alleged involvement in money laundering or any other form of illegal business dealings in relation to its Nigerian clients,” the statement read.
“The First Group’s Nigerian agent, TFG Real Estate, Limited, fully abides by Nigeria’s anti-money laundering regulations.
“In line with this commitment, TFG Real Estate, Limited regularly files the required reports with the section of the Special Control Unit on Money Laundering (SCUML) division of the EFCC in Abuja.
“Furthermore, The First Group’s Dubai operations, which are indirectly implicated in these baseless allegations, are governed by UAE Federal Law, and in particular, the country’s anti- money laundering laws, which rank among the world’s most robust.
“Our clients are also protected by the Dubai government’s rigorous and world-class real estate regulations, designed to protect the interests of local and international investors in this dynamic property market.
“The First Group is fully transparent in its operations and has a proven track-record of delivering world-class developments in the United Arab Emirates over many years.
“Its priority is protecting the interests of its clients and generating strong returns on their investments while complying with all legal statutes in the markets in which it operates.
“In respect to the current media speculation, The First Group will explore all legal options to defend its commercial reputation in Nigeria.”
THEWILL gathered that First Group is a British-owned international hotel and property development company with its global headquarters in Dubai and offices in Moscow, Almaty, Kazan, Astana, Baku, Abuja, Lagos, Jeddah, Riyadh, Khobar, Mumbai, Accra and Algiers.
Story by David Oputah.
