As many Nigerian groups continue to condemn the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s purchase of two BMW armored cars for the personal use of Aviation Minister Stella Oduah at the cost of $1.6 million, an investigation by Saharareporters has revealed that the Presidency has blocked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from prosecuting officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) found to have engaged in reckless and troubling acts of financial impropriety, fraud and embezzlement. According to our investigation, FAAN, a sister agency to NCAA, is enmeshed in a culture of fraud and corrupt practices. An investigative staff at the EFCC told SaharaReporters that the abuses at FAAN include excessive expenditure on generator repairs, the embezzlement of training funds, and the use of agency funds to purchase expensive gifts, including cars, for the minster, Ms. Oduah. An EFCC source disclosed that the anti-corruption agency had found that (FAAN) spent close to N270 million to carry out repairs on three generators that the agency had bought for less than N60 million each. “We prepared charges after some of our diligent EFCC investigators concluded investigations about several fraudulent activities in the aviation sector, but that the legal department here [at the EFCC] have refused to file the case,” said the source, adding that he had heard that the Presidency ordered a halt to prosecution. Two sources within FAAN told SaharaReporters that the huge expenditure on generator repairs was approved and carried out by FAAN’s former Managing Director, Richard Aisuebeogun. The source said George Uriesi, while he was director of airport operations at FAAN between 2010 and 2012.also participated in the scams. “It was a pure scam,” said one of our sources, adding that was FAAN’s chief executive and managing director at the time the scam was perpetrated worked collaboratively to steal agency funds. In late June 2012, the police in Lagos had arrested Mr. Aisuebeogun in connection with the generator repairs scam and other financial irregularities. He was later released without any charges being filed. Our sources accused Mr. Aisuebeogun and current FAAN MD, Mr. Uriesi, of masterminding a series of fraudulent acts in the agency. “The most common scam used is related to training of staff. Many times, the trainings don’t take place, but FAAN pays for them,” one source revealed. In 2011 alone, Mr. Aisuebeogun and Mr. Uriesi reportedly pocketed over $500, 000 of FAAN funds, our sources alleged. They asserted that the funds were diverted into Mr. Uriesi’s bank account in South Africa for a training that never happened. In another instance of reckless spending, FAAN recently purchased several vehicles, including “three exotic ones,” that were handed to Aviation Minister Oduah as “gifts.” The car purchases violated the federal government’s monetization policy, said our EFCC source. However, the Presidency, whose top officials routinely receive gifts of expensive cars from government agencies, individuals and corporations, has blocked the EFCC from acting to prosecute the FAAN officials. mobile.saharareporters/news-page/efcc-presidency-cover-widespread-fraud-aviation-agency
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 17:30:17 +0000
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