N6.8bn Fraud: NAMA Boss, Five Others Get New Trial Date

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday fixed December 2 for the trial of a former Managing Director of the Nigeria  Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam.

Abdulsalam is charged alongside six others over alleged stealing and conversion of the agency’s money amounting to N6.8 billion.

The other accused are: Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun, Clara Aliche, Joy Adegorite, and  two limited liability companies, Randville Investment Ltd, Multeng Travels and Tours Limited.
They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The case, which on September 21, was adjourned to November 8, 9 and 10 was yesterday fixed for December 2 following the absence of the prosecution who had written a letter to the court informing it of its absence. The prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, was said to be before an appellate court for another matter, and so, the trial judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi, fixed the new date for the case.

The EFCC had on April 7, arraigned the NAMA boss, three directors of the agency and the wife of one of the directors, before the court.

They had all pleaded not guilty to the charge.  The charge was subsequently amended to include three more accused persons, and all accused persons where re-arraigned on April 12.
They again, pleaded not guilty to the charge, and were admitted to bail in the sums of N20 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that on August 19, 2013, the accused conspired to induce NAMA to deliver the sum of N2.8 billion to Delosa Ltd, Air Sea Delivery Ltd and Sea Schedules Systems Ltd.

It was alleged that the delivery was under the pretence that the money represented the cost of clearing NAMA’s consignments.

It was also alleged that between Jan. 2 and Dec. 17, 2013, the defendants allegedly converted N191 million belonging to NAMA, to their private use.
They were said to have also converted N728 million between 2013 and 2015, as well as other sums.

The alleged offence is said to have contravened the provisions of sections 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3).