COVID-19: EFCC Hands Over Diezani’s Property for Isolation Centre

COVID-19: EFCC Hands Over Diezani’s Property for Isolation Centre

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 15, 2020, handed over a property forfeited by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke to the Lagos State government for use as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients.

The property consisting six flats of three bedrooms and a boys’ quarter was forfeited by Mrs Allison-Madueke following an order of Lagos State Federal High in 2017.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Lagos Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mohammed Rabo stated that the gesture was part of the Commission’s social responsibility efforts towards the fight against the spread of Corona virus.

“In addition to our mandate to fight economic and financial crimes, the Commission is committed and ready to render essential services that may be required of it in the fight against covid-19. Therefore, Lagos State should not hesitate to call on the Commission anytime the need for such essential service arises,” he said.

In his remarks, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thanked the Commission for the gesture, noting that it was a welcome collaboration between the Federal and Lagos State Government.

While assuring the Commission that the property would be put to good use, the governor thanked the EFCC for paying attention to the efforts of the state government at containing COVID 19, adding that “part of the challenges we have been facing is getting isolation centres for COVID-19 patients. We will go round the facility to see what we can do to improve on it.”

Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
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Fraudulent Deals: ADB Debars China Zhonghao Limited For 18 Months

The African Development Bank ( ADB) has debarred China Zhonghao Limited, employer of two Chinese recently arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offering a bribe of N100million (One Hundred Million Naira ) to one of its officer, for 18 months, for fraudulent practices.

The company was debarred for fraudulently misrepresenting its year of incorporation, value of its reference contracts and cognate experience of its key personnel while bidding for two tenders under ADB-financed Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project for Oyo and Taraba States in Nigeria.

Debarment is the shutting out or exclusion of a company, an individual, an entity from certain rights, privileges or possessions owing to allegations of fraud, mismanagement or impropriety.

Reports available to the EFCC showed that, ADB’s office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that China Zhonghao Limited committed the fraudulent deals and debarred it from participating in projects, financed by the bank for a period of 18 months.

Aside the 18 months exclusion from the bank-financed projects, China Zhonghao stands debarred by other multilateral development banks like the World Bank group; Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Inter-American Development Bank, owing to Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions among the banks.

The EFCC arraigned Meng Wei Kun and Xui Kuoi, two Chinese, working with China Zhonghao Limited at the Sokoto State High Court on Friday, on an allegation of bribery.

Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity