FG Arraigns 2 over Alleged COVID-19 PPE Fraud

By Alex Enumah

The Federal government on Monday, arraigned two persons for allegedly cloning a Dutch company website to defraud the firm of COVID 19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPP) worth millions of dollars.

The defendants, Mr Babatunde Adesanya, a 50-year old graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Managing Director Musterpoint Investment Nigeria Limited, Mr Akinpelu Abass, were accused of being members of a sophisticated transnational criminal network that cloned the corporate website of ILBN Holdings BV, Holland to transact with and defraud one Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn, a representative of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In the 10 counts filed against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, the defendants were said to have fraudulently obtained the sum of 1.5 million euro and another 880,000 euro as advanced payment for the supply of COVID-19 PPEs valued at 14.7 million euro from Mr Hahn.

Prosecution counsel, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), told Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the two defendants and Musterpoint Investment Nig. Ltd were involved in the multi-million Euro scam.

Details later.