BEVERLY HILLS, January 20, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has promised to file fresh criminal charges against Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo and a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi.
According to the agency, both men are involved in an alleged scam in the acquisition of a property worth N11, 765, 308, 339.80 (eleven billion, seven hundred and sixty five million, three hundred and eight thousand, three hundred and thirty nine naira, eighty kobo).
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity in a press statement revealed that the property in question, Mieka Dive Institute, acquired by NIMASA for the take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, was inflated wrongly acquired and wrongly purchased.
“The property: Mieka Dive Institute, a sprawling expanse, purportedly acquired by NIMASA for the take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, was approved for an outright purchase by the past administration in the sum of N13, 072,564,822.00 (thirteen billion, seventy two million, five hundred and sixty four thousand, eight hundred and twenty two naira) in which a sum of N11, 765, 308, 339.80 had been paid through NIMASA,” the statement read.
“Investigations showed that the fund was fraudulently claimed through an alleged false presentation of a Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy of the property and an alleged inflation of the property sum.
“This is in addition to the fact that, the same property was allegedly wrongly acquired and wrongly purchased, as the Omadino Community of Delta State, the rightful owners of the property is making a demand for rightful payment of the same land.”
It would be recalled that, Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, last week, ordered the arrest of Tompolo following his failure to appear before the court for his arraignment over an alleged N34billion scam preferred against him, the ex-NIMASA boss and four other persons as well as their companies by the EFCC.
The court consequently fixed February 8, 2016 for their arraignment.
Story by David Oputah
