The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says a
group of 27 lawyers are blackmailing Rotimi Jacobs, one of its lead
prosecutors, over an alleged £2.5 billion fraud case.
In a statement by Tony Orilade, EFCC acting spokesman, the
commission said the lawyers in a petition addressed to the national executive
of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) alleged that Jacobs was using the
anti-graft agency to intimidate them for winning a monetary suit against the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
It said the lawyers alleged that Union Bank induced the EFCC
and Jacobs to file criminal charges against their client, Petro Union Oil, in
order to frustrate the execution of the judgment.
But the EFCC countered the allegation, describing it as
“false and misleading”.
The commission described Jacobs as a reputable lawyer who
has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases for the agency.
“For the purpose of clarity, the purported £2.5billion is a
fictitious fund Petro Union Oil drew against an account in Barclays Bank(
United Kingdom) through a cheque issued in 1994,” the EFCC said.
“The company made a fraudulent attempt to present the cheque
for clearing through Union Bank but enquiries made by Union Bank at Barclays
Bank showed that the account against which the cheque was drawn was closed in
1989, five years before the cheque was presented in Lagos for clearing.
“Besides, the company had also been voluntarily dissolved by
its promoters in the United Kingdom. The same promoters are the mastermind of
Petro Union oil.
“For some inscrutable reasons, Petro Union Oil was able to
procure a court judgment for the £2.5billion against the CBN and Union Bank on
the basis of an alleged CBN Statement of Account when it is elementary that the
CBN ,like all Central Banks across the world, does not maintain accounts for
private entities.
“Based on the foregoing, the EFCC filed a 7-count charge
against Petro Union oil and its directors and trial is ongoing at the Federal
High Court.”
The EFCC said the blackmailing of Jacobs is a ploy to divert
attention from the ongoing trial and frustrate the agency.
“It should be pointed out that, the publication alleging
intimidation and harassment by the lawyers is a desperate attempt by the shady
elements and their promoters to divert attention from their ongoing trial and
frustrate the EFCC in its determination to rid the country of corrupt and
manipulative elements , including the lawyers and other professionals who lent
their names to aid the fraud, ” it said.
“Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, is a highly respected member of the
legal profession who has worked assiduously in conjunction with the EFCC to
secure convictions of many notable convicts in the society.
“The EFCC will not be deterred from its avowed goal and is
considering filing a complaint against these desperate lawyers with the
appropriate organ of the legal profession.”
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