The
immediate past acting chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Uche Secondus,
arrested Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, illegally
received 23 luxury vehicles valued at N310 million from controversial
businessman, Jide Omokore, Premium Times has learnt.
A
source at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said the vehicles
included a Mercedes G63 and a Range Rover Autobiography.
“His
(Mr. Secondus) name popped up while we were investigating Jide Omokore who
lifted crude oil repeatedly through his Atlantic Energy but failed to remit the
money to the government,” said the source.
Nigerian
government insiders had told Premium Times two weeks ago that Mr. Omokore had
been compelled to release $14 million crude oil royalty his company, Atlantic
Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, failed to remit to the federal
treasury.
Mr.
Secondus was picked up by the anti-graft operatives on Tuesday after
investigators suspected he had served as a conduit for laundering Mr. Omokore’s
funds.
“Mr.
Omokore distributed money and gifts to politicians and investigators are
suspicious that actually those money and vehicles might have passed through him
(Mr. Secondus) to other politicians,” the source said.
Mr.
Omokore incorporated his company in 2010 and, shortly afterwards, signed a
Strategic Alliance Agreement with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company,
the upstream production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation.
No comments:
Post a Comment