Court orders final forfeiture £578,080.00 stolen from NIMASA
Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of £578,080.00 found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the account of a maritime firm, ZAL Marine Limited domiciled in Diamond Bank.
EFCC filed an ex parte application through its counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, for the funds to be forfeited after investigations carried out by it showed that the funds were embezzled from the agency by two of
its former staff members, Macfoy Irene and Chukwu Emeka Emmanuel.
EFCC investigator, Musbahu Yahaya Abubakar, alleged that the commission stated that it received intelligence alleging a monumental fraud in NIMASA and that part of the proceeds of the said fraud was transferred to the respondents. He alleged that the said Macfoy Irene used her position as an Assistant Director and head of Nigerian Seafarers Development Program to facilitate the fraudulent transfer of the sum of £1,074,600.00 from NIMASA’s Zenith Bank (UK) Account to an offshore account belonging to Swiss Bulk carriers S.A under the false pretenses of training 54 Nautical Science and Marine Engineering Students on Sea Training on 16th March, 2013.
“That out of the said £1,074,600.00, the Respondent herein without any contractual relationship with NIMASA also fraudulently received and retained the sum of £578,080.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand, Eighty Pounds) from Swiss Bulk Carriers S.A. That the fund was transferred from NIMASA’s Account without any Parastatal or Ministerial Tender Board approval and/ or contract with NIMASA. That there was no contractual relationship or agreement that existed between NIMASA, Swiss Bulk Carriers S.A and the Respondent to warrant this fraudulent transfer of the funds sought to be forfeited. That before effecting the said fraudulent transfer to Swiss Bulk Carrier S.A, the mandatory value added tax and remittance to the Federal government of Nigeria was unlawfully evaded. That the Respondent is a front company to Mrs. Irene U. Macfoy, An Assistant Director with NIMASA and the Head of the Nigeria Seafarers Development Program. That the Respondent is an agent of Swiss Bulk Carriers S.A who fraudulently retained and converted to their use, the total sum of £496,520.00 out of the said £1,074,600.00. That the Respondent is reasonably suspected to have conspired with others to steal the above fund from the Federal Government of Nigeria''.
After listening to the lawyer, the judge granted the application for the final forfeiture of the funds to the Federal government.
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