NEWSPAPER TODAY; HEADLINES FROM THE PUNCH [Today 24th February 2016]

 

Ex-PDP BOT chair in fresh N300m arms scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja a fresh evidence of N300m allegedly received by a former Chairman, Board of Trustee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Haliru Bello, from the Office of the National Security Adviser, on February 27, 2015.

The EFCC had on January 5, 2015 arraigned Bello, his son, Abba, and a firm, BAM Project and Properties Limited (owned by Abba), on four counts of money laundering involving a separate sum of N300m security funds which they allegedly received from ONSA last March.

An operative of the EFCC, Rouqayyat Ibrahim, who opened her testimony as the first prosecution witness on February 16, 2016, said on Tuesday that investigation had further revealed that Bello received N300m from ONSA in two tranches of N150m each. READ FULL STORY

Jonathan not needed to prove case against Metuh –EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it does not require former President Goodluck Jonathan as its witness in order to prove its money laundering case against the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Olisa Metuh.

The EFCC stated this in its response filed before Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja to oppose the no-case submission by Metuh.

Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, are being prosecuted by the EFCC on seven counts fraud.

The charges include allegations that he fraudulently received from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November, 2014 the sum of N400m meant for the procurement of arms and money laundering involving $2m cash transaction. READ FULL STORY

$2bn deal: Clear your name, Atiku tells Adoke

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has refuted allegations that he was behind the travails of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Atiku advised Adoke and all those invited by the EFCC to go and clear their names with the anti-graft agency instead of trying to drag innocent people into the fray.

The former Vice-President said this in Abuja on Tuesday, in a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe. READ FULL STORY

Rivers women protest levy for governor’s perfume

HUNDREDS of women from Mile Three Market in Diobu, Port Harcourt marched to the Government House in Port Harcourt in protest against an alleged multiple taxation, which includes a tax for governor’s perfume.

     The women, who chanted war songs, caused a gridlock around Azikiwe Road as they asked the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to caution the Port Harcourt City Local Government Council Chairman, Mr. Sunny Sam-Ejekwu.

The market women lamented that the extortion from a group suspected to be a task force established by the council was impoverishing them.

Although the women’s protest was peaceful, their placards, which read, ‘We no go gree’, Pay-pay too much’, ‘Stop collecting Chairman’s money from us’, and Save us from extortion and intimidation’, among others, conveyed their anger. READ FULL STORY

Moro faces N676m money laundering, fraud charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it is set to arraign the immediate past Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, for allegedly defrauding graduate applicants of N676,675,000 during the 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment during which about 20 job seekers lost their lives.

The EFCC said in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, that a breakdown of the money implied that N1,000 was allegedly extorted from each applicant through e-payment for the online application.

To this end, the EFCC will arraign Moro on 11 counts bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, procurement fraud and money laundering. READ FULL STORY

SOURCE: PUNCH ONLINE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS 09:37