The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched
investigations into how the Army spent a N5billion vehicles purchase
grant received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The grant was provided by ONSA to purchase vehicles onstensibly for the monitoring of the 2015 general elections.
But sources said the purchase of the
vehicles allegedly carried out by the Department of Training and
Operations was bogged with fraud and illegalities. There were no award
letters, contract agreements, technical assessment reports, delivery
notes and receipt vouchers.
The Department of Army Logistics became
aware of the quantity and types of vehicles on October 29, last year —
about seven months after they were bought.
Besides, the EFCC team is looking into
alleged spending of $5,938,897.18(N2, 369,619,903) between September 3
and 13, 2014 on the procurement of Counter Improvised Explosive Device
Equipment (CIED) for the Defence and Security Services without a needs
assessment.There were no award letters, contract agreements, technical
assessment reports, delivery notes and receipt vouchers.
The $5,938,897.18 (N2, 369,619,903) contracts were awarded and paid for within 10 days.
The panel has shortlisted 25 of the 54 suspects for interrogation.
The suspects, who are to be interrogated
“any time from now”, include some serving and retired officers,
ex-permanent secretaries and directors of Finance.
EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu last night mandated the task force “not to spare any suspect implicated in the deals”.
It was learnt that issues surrounding
the N5billion and the $5,938,897.18 formed the major aspects of the
preliminary investigation concluded by the EFCC team.
It was learnt that the preliminary
investigation corroborated the report of the Presidential Committee on
Audit of Defence Equipment, which was headed by Air Vice Marshal JON
Ode.
After Ode panel submitted its third interim report to President Muhammadu Buhari, the 54 people for probe were shortlisted.
The EFCC raised the Special Task Force when the report was sent to Magu.
A source, who spoke in confidence last
night, according to TheNation said: “The Task Force has virtually
completed its preliminary investigation. Very soon, we will start
inviting about 25 suspects in the first batch for interrogation.
“On Wednesday, the EFCC chairman
mandated the Task Force ‘not to spare anybody implicated in the
procurement scandal in the Nigerian Army. Magu said there should be ‘no
sacred cows’ and we are sticking to that.”
The source, who pleaded not to be named
because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, said: the task force had
gone far in probing the curious N5billion grant.
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It was gathered that the panel
discovered irregularities in the purchase of the vehicles in line with
the initial findings of Ode’s committee.
A document made available to the press
said reads in part: “In the wake of preparations for the 2015 general
elections, the ONSA released N5,000,000,000.00 to Nigerian Army on 16
March 2015 to meet its requirements for the exercise.
“The Committee established that out of
the amount, Nigerian Army procured 155 units of Toyota Hilux and 50
units of Isuzu trucks, a procurement that was carried out in total
disregard of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
“There were no procurement documents,
such as award letters, contract agreements, technical assessment
reports, delivery notes and receipt vouchers to support the acquisition.
“Consequently, the unit cost of the vehicles and tax payable could not
be ascertained.
“Moreover, the procurement was carried out by Department of Training and Operations instead of the Department of Army Logistics.
“The distribution of the vehicles showed
that 15 were allocated to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) without
specifying the purpose.
“Sadly, the Department of Army Logistics
became aware of the quantity and types of vehicles on 29 October 2015,
about seven months after they were procured, thereby jeopardising
accountability. The Committee is of the view that the procurement
process was fraudulent.”
A source in the Task Force said: “Those
to be quizzed on the purchase of the N5billion vehicles are a Lt.-Gen, a
Major-General, a Brig.-General and an auto firm .
“We will release their names whenever we are ready to interrogate them. We do not want to jeopardise investigation.”
The EFCC source also claimed that the
task force was looking into alleged purchase of CIED for the Defence and
Security Services by ONSA without due process.
The two contracts, which were said to be worth $5,938,897.18 (N2, 369,619,903), were awarded and paid for within 10 days.
The document added: “ONSA awarded and
funded two other contracts totalling $5,938,897.18 between3 and 13
September 2014 for the procurement of CIED for the defence and security
services.
“There were no need assessments from the
beneficiary Services and security agencies prior to the procurement and
‘donation’ of the items by ONSA.
“Furthermore, there were no traces of award letters, contract agreements and proof of payment of WHT amounting to $296,944.86.”
Three suspects out of the 25 short-listed have been recommended for quizzing on the $5,938,897.18 for the CIED.
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