N4.9bn Fraud | EFCC charges 3 companies linked to Jonathan’s ex-aide

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged three companies linked to former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa.

They are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited and Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited.

They were charged before Justice Abdulazeez Anka of the Federal High Court in Lagos, along with Sombre Omeibi, who is said to be at large.

Dudafa was arraigned on June 15 before Justice Mohammed Idris for allegedly conspiring to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6billion on June 11, 2013.

He was arraigned along with Iwejuo Joseph Nna (alias Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah) on a 23-count charge of conspiracy and concealment of crime proceeds.

The defendants allegedly concealed the money through Seagate Property Development and Investment, an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).

They were also accused of knowingly concealing proceeds of crime through Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited in the sum of N 399, 470,000.00, among others.

In the new charge, the three companies were accused of indirectly retaining $15,591,700 (about N4, 981,548,150), which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceed of an unlawful act.

The alleged offence is contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2012, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.