The federal government has
charged Modibbo Kawu, director-general of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission
(NBC), to an Abuja federal high court over an alleged N2.5 billion fraud.
Pinnacle Communications Limited;
its founder, Lucky Omonuwa, and Dipo Onifade, its managing director, were also
included in the suit.
The charges were filed following
an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to PUNCH, 12 charges
were preferred against the accused persons by Henry Emore and Adenekan
Shogunle, on behalf of the attorney-general of the federation.
The federal government, had in
2016, released N10 billion to the ministry of information and culture for the
digital switchover programme, aimed at the migration of telephone lines from
analogue to digital platforms.
A White Paper was issued
directing that the process is explicitly handled by government-affiliated
companies.
The amount of N1.7 billion was
subsequently as seed grant for the commencement of the switchover.
During its investigation, the
ICPC said it discovered that the process was fraught with corrupt practices.
It alleged that Kawu fraudulently
recommended Pinnacle Communications Limited, a private company, to the ministry
for the release of N2.5 billion against the guidelines contained in the White
Paper.
According to the charges filed
before the court, Kawu’s action contravenes Section 26(1)(c) and is punishable
under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Kawu was accused of “recommending
to the Minister of Information to approve payment of the sum of N2.5bn to
Pinnacle Communications Ltd, a private company owned by Sir Lucky Omonuwa as a
‘seed grant’ under the DigitalSwitch-Over programme of the Federal Government
when you knew that the company was not entitled to receive such a grant and you
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under
Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Omonuwa was accused of
transferring N167m out of the N2.5bn to one Daura Mamman, a bureau de change
operator, and thereafter taking the dollar equivalent of the sum in cash to his
residence in Kaduna.
Kawu and Pinnacle Communications
have both denied the allegations.
Kawu had said there was nothing
fraudulent in the transaction between the commission and Pinnacles
Communications, adding that the firm was paid for services rendered just the
way the 1st signal distributor (ITS), an affiliate of the Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA), was paid.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com