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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized four
houses worth N872 million from a former Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, Sen. Bala Mohammed, and his son, Shamsudeen Bala.
The
ex-minister is also under investigation on alleged fictitious contracts
of about N1billion, allocation of 12 choice plots worth billions of
naira and 37 other commercial plots of land worth about N8 billion to
his suspected front named Tariq Hammoud as well as the controversial N1
trillion Abuja land swap.
More than 16 companies linked with
fictitious contracts awarded by Bala had been under surveillance and
their owners grilled by EFCC.
The anti-graft agency quizzed
Shamsudeen, Hammoud and top directors of the Federal Capital Territory
administration, including that of Treasury, Ibrahim Bomoi; Land, Babayo
Mainasara, and Abuja Geographical Information Service (AGIS), Ms Jamila
Tangaza.
Tangaza, who had been in detention in the past one week, was battling for bail as at press time.
She
has, however, been linked to N800 million questionable contracts to her
personal firm apart from benefiting from plots of land from the
ex-minister.
According to investigations, the ongoing probe of the
ex-minister followed petitions against him, including complaints
pending since 2013.
It was gathered that following preliminary
findings, EFCC obtained an interim forfeiture order to confiscate a N650
million house at 1 and 3, Mariam Mukhtar Street, Asokoro.
The
same forfeiture order was secured to seize the ex-minister’s son three
duplexes costing about N222 million in the Apo Area of Abuja.
A
top source in EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are probing the
immediate past Minister of FCT on many allegations against him,
including award of N1 billion fictitious contracts; abuse of office by
allocating 12 choice plots to his son and 37 other commercial plots
worth about N8 billion to Hammoud, who is suspected to be his front;
land swap, among others.
“Some of the petitions against Bala
Mohammed had been pending since 2013. Initial findings showed that the
ex-minister used fictitious companies to award contracts worth N1
billion in FCT. In one instance, a man with three companies was allowed
to bid for one slot.
“About 16 companies used for fictitious contracts are under investigation because they did not supply items credited to them.
“We
have also uncovered how Bala allocated plots of land to his friends,
business partners. For examples, he allocated 12 plots of land to his
son, Shamsudeen, and 37 commercial plots of land to his business front
called Tariq Hammoud.
“Some of those quizzed so far confessed that
Bala used unconventional methods in raking illicit funds and laundering
same. Each time the ex-minister allocated a plot of land, he would find
out the market value and ask you to pay half of the amount to him in
cash.
“For instance if a plot of land was N2 billion, Bala would
ask for N1 billion cash from the prospective buyer. He was smart in
collecting cash.
“But the EFCC has traced allocation of 37
commercial plots to Hammoud and how N8billion was made from it. In fact,
we saw a proposal by Tariq Hammoud to sell some of the plots.
“So
far, our operatives have arrested, detained and quizzed Shamsudeen. He
is presently on administrative bail. We have also interrogated Hammoud.
Responding
to a question, the source said: “Based on substantial findings, we
approached the court to obtain an interim forfeiture order to seize a
N650million from the ex-FCT Minister.
“What happened was that the
former minister allocated some plots of land to Aso Savings and they
bought the N650 million house for him at Nos. 1 and 3, Mariam Mukhtar
Street, Asokoro District.
“The EFCC has confiscated three duplexes totalling N222million which were acquired by the ex-minister’s son.
“We
invoked sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and
Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004 which empower the
anti-graft agency to invoke Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.
“Section
28 of the EFCC Act reads: ‘Where a person is arrested for an offence
under this Act, the Commission shall immediately trace and attach all
the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such
economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an
interim attachment order from the Court.’”
On the fate of the
ex-minister, the source said: “We are investigating him, we are yet to
invite him for questioning. Certainly, we are closing in on him.”
The
source added that EFCC had grilled top directors of the FCT
administration. “As for Ms Jamila Tangaza, we arrested and detained her
because she was connected with the land scam and abuse of office.
“The
ex-minister asked her to resign her appointment with BBC and appointed
her as a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Information. But Bala
allocated some plots of land to her to sell in order to acquire a
mansion in Asokoro District too. Her house was allegedly worth
N158million.
“Also, Jamila allegedly abused her office by awarding N800million contracts to her company which is called Songbird Multimedia.
“Her
case was interesting. When she registered the company with the
Corporate Affairs Commission, she used a fictitious name as the CEO of
the company but she is the sole signatory to the company’s account and
her phone number is the point of contact with the firm.
“We have
sent her signature on CAC document and other specimen signatures
collected from her to a forensic laboratory. Following a court order, we
detained her in the past few days but as at Friday, she was pleading
that we should grant her bail. We are looking into her request.”
The top source denied insinuations that the ex-BBC correspondent was handcuffed when she was taken to her office for a search.
The
source added: “You can verify from her what transpired. From custody in
EFCC, we went with her to her office to recover some documents. We used
the EFCC bus but along the way, she begged us to park the bus away from
the vicinity of AGIS where she is a director. She did not want her
staff and others to notice that she was brought to the office by EFCC
team.
“We obliged her request by parking outside AGIS. We also
didn’t allow policemen in uniform to follow her to the office. We
assigned plain-clothe operatives and even asked her if she wanted the
only lady in our team to follow her so that Jamila can blend with the
crowd in AGIS without anyone suspecting anything.
“She said all
plain clothe operatives can follow her. We did not put her in handcuffs.
This is the extent we went based on her request to protect her
reputation and integrity. The story of Jamila being handcuffed was
rubbish.”