This is not the best time for top officials of Imo State Government especially those in charge of contract awards, relevant ministries and financial transaction as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC begin fresh manhunt for suspected corrupt officials in Okorocha administration.
The visit of the anti-graft body may not be unconnected to a fresh N3.5bn contract scam rocking the state again. As the dust raised by the JPross N458m bribery scandal is yet to settle, another fraud-related case has erupted in the state.
Trumpeta learnt that, a company known as Hormipresa Nig Ltd, reportedly secured a contract worth about N3.5bn from Imo state government for one of the monumental projects where the state government had paid out more than 30% of the contract said to be about 1bn.
Reports have if that a Spanish and Director in Hormipresa, Mr Jose Marin Lopez-Pepe is presently in police net after International Police, Interpol apprehended him following suspected moves that he wants to divert N1.6 million Euros meant for the purchase and supply of materials for the execution of the contract. After the release of sum of 1bn to the company, the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Benjamin Emenike allegedly transferred the sum of 1.6m Euros to the Spanish account of Lopez-Pepe for the purchase of essential materials from Spain for the execution of the project which is yet to be supplied.
While the Imo state government is claiming that the Spanish is cooling his feet inside the cell of Imo State Police Command, after Interpol transferred the matter to Owerri and both parties in court, reports have it that Lopez-Pepe has reportedly the matter to the EFCC for investigation.
In the petition against Imo State Government to EFCC, and copied to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Lopez-Pepe through his lawyer, Abiodun Oduwole, which was made available to newsmen, the Spainard alleged that while he traveled abroad to procure technical drawings and other equipment for the contract valued at about N3.6 billion, Emenike who is the Managing Director of a company, Hormipresa Nigeria Ltd, collected part-payment for the project and bought several exotic cars.
Consequently, Mr Lopez-Pepe, who claims he never received the payment by the state government for the job, prays the IGP and the anti-graft agency to investigate Emenike and some officials of the Imo State government and make them account for the project funds.
Specifically, the petition, reads: “We bring to your attention, Sir, the unlawful activities of Mr. Benjamin Emmanuel Emenike, the Managing Director of Hormipresa Nigeria Limited, and pray that you cause an investigation into the following allegations.
“A contract for the construction of some infrastructure in Owerri was awarded to New Int. FPS S.L (NIFPS) on November 8, 2011 by the government of Imo State. The total amount of the contract is about N3.6 billion. Being a foreign company registered in Spain, NIFPS introduced Mr. Benjamin Emenike’s company (Hormipresa Nig. Ltd), an indigenous company, to the government of Imo State as its sister company/agent and requested for an advance payment of 30% of the contract sum to be paid to NIFPS through Hormipresa. Both Mr. Benjamin Emenike and Mr. Jose Marin Lopez-Pepe (the Managing Director of NIFPS) opened a joint account at Zenith Bank for the purpose of this contract and its execution. The mandate was for both parties to be compulsory signatories.
“However, when Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe traveled to Spain to secure the technical drawings and other equipments (sic) for the project, Mr. Benjamin Emenike connived with the account officer at Zenith Bank to change the mandate of the account to enable only him (Mr. Emenike) operate the account. The said account officer perfected and facilitated the fraud on Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe by helping Mr. Benjamin Emenike to successfully access the said 30% mobilization fund without the consent of the second compulsory signatory, Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe.
“A total of N1.2 Billion Naira (about 6 Million Euros) was paid to NIFPS through Hormipresa Nigeria Limited, being 30% of the contract sum, the take-off grant for the project. However, since accessing the funds, Mr. Ben Emenike has refused to remit or transmit the money to Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe or NIFPS, despite repeated and numerous letters from Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe’s solicitors requesting him to account for all money had and collected in connection with the contract and to transmit same to him.
“When the pressure became heightened, Mr. Ben Emenike resorted to using his money laundering contacts also facilitated by Mrs. Grace Okparaeche to launder money into Mr. Lopez-Pepe’s accounts in Spain, in order to frustrate him and put him in trouble with Spanish governments. He made a number of transactions where he transferred money from a Nigerian account to a Spanish account through Hong Kong, Russia and London, and through unknown, unregistered and spurious companies, thereby making such funds flagged for money laundering. Of course, these moneys are trapped in Spain for further investigation as they do not emanate from clear and direct sources.
“Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe’s accounts have also been frozen. The total amount of money sent to Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe’s account is about 1.8 Million Euros. At a point, and due to the suspicious manner the moneys were being transferred, Barclays Bank, UK, refunded 500,000 Euros to Mr. Benjamin Emenike, claiming that the transaction could not be followed through because it had money laundering patterns to which they would not be a party. Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe was advised by his bankers in Spain that only a letter from Imo State Government could ensure that the monies are indeed released to him.
“Unknown to him, Mr. Benjamin Emenike had connived with a Government official and a Legal Director at Rochas Foundation who prepares legal documentation for Imo State government, to prepare a spurious award letter in favour of Hormipresa Nigeria Limited, for the same contract. Thus, two awards were purportedly made by the state government on the same project. The first award, made to NIFPS, was duly accepted, supported by a contract agreed to by both Imo State Government and NIFPS and duly executed by the Secretary to the State Government. The second award offer purportedly made to Hormipresa was merely signed by the Principal Secretary to the State Governor. No contract, no acceptance. In fact, Imo State Government released funds to Mr. Benjamin Emenike solely on the authority of NIFPS, having expressly requested for same and having introduced Hormipresa as a sister company/agent.
“We know that Mr. Benjamin Emenike spent the bulk of the balance of the mobilization funds with him, that is, 4.7 Million Euros, to bribe his way through the mercenaries of the state government, and had acquired the following items for his personal use: Purchased a total of 20 cars, as contained in the schedule to this petition, Rented a shopping complex worth N6 Million, Imported goods and other wares for the rented shops, worth about N6.5 Million, Commenced a building project in Obodo-Ukwu, Bought numerous buildings in Owerri, Rented apartments in Abuja, Multiple transfers of funds to various accounts at GTBank, Enterprise Bank, former Fin Bank, etc, belonging to himself, ODK Nig Ltd, Real Image Integrated Consultants, and so on, totaling over N200 Million. The account numbers, branches and amount transferred are further included in the schedule to this petition.
“What baffles everyone, Sir, is why Benjamin Emenike walks the streets freely, having misappropriated 4.7 Million Euros, while the original awardee of the contract, Mr. Marin Lopez-Pepe, who is yet to access the portion of the contract money purportedly sent to him, that is, 1.3 Million Euros, is being kept in jail and standing trial over spurious allegations.
“We therefore urge you Sir to use your good office to investigate the said Mr. Benjamin Emenike and his activities with respect to the said contract, and help NIFPS recover the stolen and misappropriated funds from him. We believe this will help restore the confidence of foreign investors in our country.”
It will be recalled that Mr Lopez-Pepe who is the manager of New International FPS SL was earlier arrested by the police over allegation that he defrauded the Imo State government to the tune of about €1.6 million.
Armed with details of the N3.5bn contract transaction which invariably has noticeable flaws that negates obtainable financial principles and due process for contract award in a government establishment, operatives of the EFCC have once again emptied in Owerri for man hunt of suspected collaborators on the side of government.
It was learnt that the fresh EFCC invasion of Imo State stems from the fact that the job for the N3.5bn contract was not publicly advertised, and no proper value of contract and modalities for payment were also observed even as the name of the project for which the contract was awarded for is been shrouded in secrecy. Responses from the State Government never indicated the project for which the sum of N3.6bn was paid for.
EFCC in the course of the allegation may have to re-invite the Accountant General, Gorge Eche, and the Finance Commissioner Chike Okafor who has been regular visitors to the body.
