Nigeria: Corruption Unit Arrests Minting Staff

Six management staff of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Corporation (NSPMC) have been arrested and interrogated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over their alleged role in the N72 billion scam at the organisation.

Their arrest by the ICPC personnel, who had stormed the headquarters of the company in Abuja last week, has confirmed LEADERSHIP's earlier exclusive report that a N72 billion fraud had blown open.

Accordingly, the arrest has also made nonsense of the company's desperate attempt to cover up the alleged fraudulent deals.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the embattled NSPMC officials were rounded up on Thursday, June 26, 2008 and railroaded into the ICPC office, where they were drilled for several days before they were asked to go home on temporary reprieve.

The six officials, who are all of the rank of Assistant General Managers, according to dependable being sources, are being accused of being behind the procurement of obsolete printing machines worth over N28 billion from KBA, an Austrian company without calling for tender for bidding.

Besides, the management of NSPMC reportedly procured old generating plants and installed same at the Lagos office of the company without recourse to due process because as the source put it, "they said the chairman of the management board, who is also the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo, had given them the approval."

"Unfortunately for them since the purchase of generators about three years ago, none of them is functional and no one is fit to ask questions on such fraudulent deals," the source added.

Further findings have also revealed that satisfied with the contents of the petitions sent to them over the procurement of the obsolete generators in the Lagos office of the company, ICPC personnel were said to have also quizzed some officials of the company yesterday in Lagos.

Although the true identity of the management staff that were arrested and interrogated could not be ascertained as at the time of going to press, it was gathered that Engineer Ahmed Tinau, Mr. Moke Ogbaiye, Mr. Emmanuel Bala, Engr Sonde and one Mr. Opeyemi were said to be among the NSPMC officials that were picked up last week.

LEADERSHIP checks further revealed that due to alleged fraudulent practices taking place under the leadership of the incumbent Managing Director, Mr. Ehi Okoyoman, the management of NSPMC is not willing to find ways of printing the country's currency within.

For now panic has gripped most senior staff of the company, as there were indications yesterday that the dreaded officials of the EFCC would soon wade into the situation.

Several attempts by our correspondent to speak with officials of the company to give clarification on the alleged fraud and the arrest could not yield any positive results as none of them was willing to comment.

Also efforts to speak with Mr. Okoyoman, failed as he was said to be away in Europe as part of a grand design to stay away from the ICPC personnel.

http://allafrica.com/

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