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| Former Minister of Works, Dr. Hassan Lawal |
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission witness on Thursday told Abuja Federal High Court how a
former Minister of Works, Dr. Hassan Lawal, and some multinational companies misappropriated a N6.4bn equity contribution by the Federal Government, Nasarawa and Kogi state governments for the construction of the Guto Bagana Bridge.
former Minister of Works, Dr. Hassan Lawal, and some multinational companies misappropriated a N6.4bn equity contribution by the Federal Government, Nasarawa and Kogi state governments for the construction of the Guto Bagana Bridge.
The contract for the bridge designed to link Nasarawa with Kogi State was to be carried out on a Public Private Partnership through a Build, Operate and Transfer agreement between the Federal Government and the two state governments on one hand, and the Swede Control Intertek Limited, the concessionaire, on the other hand.
At the continuation of hearing in the suit brought by the EFCC against the former minister and other accused persons, prosecution witness, Chike Nwibe, a deputy Superintendent of Police, told the court that investigation revealed that the public partners in the contract, (FG and the Nasarawa and Kogi state governments) paid their equity contribution of N6.4bn while the private partner (Swede Control Intertek Limited) made zero contribution.
He said, “Some of the documents available to the investigation team show that the N6.4bn and other contributions in connection to the contract are to be paid into a joint account to be managed by signatories of the two parties.
“However, that did not happen as monies were most times released directly to another company, which later transformed into being the concessionaire.
“The name of the company is Digital Tolls Company Limited which belong to the 3rd accused person, Dr. Adeogba Godwin Ademola.”
Culled from The Punch
Culled from The Punch
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