Money laundering: Fani-Kayode knows fate June 18

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday fixed June 18 for judgment in the trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, charged with money laundering.

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia fixed the judgment following the adoption of final written addresses and arguments by the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the accused.

Mr. Fani-Kayode, whose trial began in 2008 before Justice Ramat Mohammed, was accused by the EFCC of laundering about N100 million while he was the Minister of Culture and Tourism and later, the Minister of Aviation.

The laundered sum was, however, reduced to N2.1 million on Nov. 17, 2014 after Ofili-Ajumogobia had dismissed 38 of the 40 counts levelled against the former minister for want of proof.

At the resumed trial of the case on Monday, the EFCC prosecutor, Festus Keyamo, urged the court to uphold the remaining two counts and to, accordingly, convict Mr. Fani-Kayode.
He said the former minister had failed to exonerate himself of the allegations.

Mr. Keyamo pointed out that the object of the charge was that Mr. Fani-Kayode transacted in cash sums above N500,000 which was the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering Act.

He said that Mr. Fani-Kayode had personally admitted making such transactions in his confessional statement of Dec. 22, 2008 to the EFCC.

Mr. Keyamo said: “In this statement, he admitted that he transacted in cash above N500, 000. My Lord, this statement went in without objection by the accused and the statement was voluntary.

“With the combination of this confessional statement and the statement of the investigating police officer that investigated the allegations, we rely on all of these to submit that we have discharged our burden that monies were received by the accused in cash and were not done through any financial institution.”

Mr. Keyamo argued that the prosecution had discharged its duty once it established that Mr. Fani-Kayode transacted large sums above the Money Laundering threshold, adding that it was left for Mr. Fani-Kayode to explain the source of the money.

“Once you cannot explain the source of the large sums of money found on you, you are guilty of money laundering.

“If the prosecution must show where the money is coming from, then the whole essence of the money laundering law is defeated.

“It is not in all cases that the burden of proof lies on the prosecution; the burden at this point shifts to the accused,” Mr. Keyamo added.

He further argued that the court could not simply believe that the large sums that Mr. Fani-Kayode allegedly transacted were proceeds from his father’s estate.

According to him, the accused should have called the tenant who paid in the money to testify in court and also back it up with his bank’s statement.

But Mr. Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Adedayo Adedipe, in his summary argument, maintained that Mr. Fani-Kayode made no confession to the EFCC, adding that the anti-graft agency had failed to show that Fani-Kayode actually accepted cash amounting to N1million as alleged in one of the counts.

Mr. Adedipe said the EFCC also failed to show to the court the person who handed over the money to the accused persons.
He said for the case of the prosecution to succeed it must be proved beyond reasonable doubts.

“My Lord, it is our submission that the accused does not have to prove his innocence; it is the prosecution that must prove its case beyond all reasonable doubts.

“In this particular case, the prosecution has failed to give the evidence of acceptance of N1 million in the entire trial, and none of the witnesses brought by the prosecution gave evidence of giving the accused cash,” Mr. Adedipe said.

The lawyer said the defence had raised doubts in the mind of the court regarding the veracity of the testimony of the EFCC’s witness, Supo Agbaje.

He said that Agbaje had earlier been declared wanted by the EFCC and subsequently listed as a prosecution witness.

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PDP Crisis: Party blames “hate campaign” for Jonathan’s ​defeat; opens up on campaign ​funding​

The leadership of the Peoples PDP Crisis: Party blames “hate campaign” for Jonathan’s ​defeat; opens up on campaign ​funding​ Democratic Party, PDP, has given insight ​on​ why President Goodluck Jonathan lost ​the ​recent ​presidential ​election to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari.
The spokesperson for the party, Olisa Metuh, said Monday that the party headquarters was sidelined during the campaigns, and that “overzealous” persons were allowed to run a hate campaign against Mr. Buhari, thereby making the former military ruler more popular.
The PDP campaign was characterized by hate campaigns against Mr. Buhari with little emphasis on the achievement of Mr. Jonathan.
Some of the most horrific attacks against Mr. Buhari came from the president’s wife, Patience, the governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, and the spokesperson for Mr. Jonathan’s campaign team, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Mr. Metuh said, “In 2003 President Obasanjo ran against Odumegwu Ojukwu, while late President Yar’adua also ran against him in 2007.
“If the PDP had run its campaign based on hate speech against the Ikemba Nnewi, he would have won by a landslide in the whole of the South East,” he said.
Campaign funds fraud
Against the backdrop of controversy regarding how campaign funds of the PDP were spent and recent agitations for the members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, to resign for leading the party to failure, the NWC reacted by insisting that no money was given to it and that it rather spent its own internally generated funds to sponsor the candidates of the party.
Mr. Metuh, who addressed a press conference at his office on Monday, said the NWC generated over N9 billion from the sales of nomination forms to aspirants and used the money to support candidates of the party.
“We gave the presidential campaign N500 million and also supported our governorship candidates in the states with N100 million each, apart from those running for the state assemblies,” Mr. Metuh said.
The NWC members have been accused of pocketing funds given to them for party campaigns.
News website, Sahara Reporters, reported weekend that several members of the NWC received and pocketed N30 million, refusing to work for the victory of the party.
Mr. Metuh said the NWC was never given any money for the campaigns and denied embezzling such money.
He however admitted that NWC members received the said N30 Million, which he said included their housing, furniture and other allowances that have not been past for the past two years.
“We state clearly that we have not been given any money, rather this NWC generated billions of naira from the sale of forms from where we funded our candidates for governorship and state assembly elections in all the states of the federation in addition to funds released to key leaders including NWC and BoT members to prosecute the campaigns in their various areas,” he said.
Mr. Metuh said the NWC is willing and ready to make its account public in line with the Freedom of Information law.
He also said President Goodluck Jonathan was “directly involved” in the decision to disburse the N30 million funds to the NWC as well as BOT members.
Mr. Metuh accused “fifth columnists” of trying to create crisis in the party with a view to afford elected officials an opportunity to defect from the party in line with a recent Supreme Court ruling.

He said the NWC members were running the party under difficult conditions for over a year with no help from any quarters.

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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/182424-pdp-crisis-party-blames-hate-campaign-for-jonathans.html

Britain's new princess named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Britain's Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have named their newborn daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, a choice that honors the baby's late grandmother Princess Diana and her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth.

The news, announced in a statement on Monday from the couple's Kensington Palace residence, was eagerly awaited by royal watchers and bookmakers who had been placing bets and speculating on the subject since the baby's birth on Saturday.

"The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge," Kensington Palace tweeted.

Charlotte, Diana and Elizabeth were all among the names most favored by bookmakers for the princess, who is the fifth great-grandchild of Britain's 89-year-old Queen Elizabeth.

Earlier on Monday, a May Day public holiday in Britain, the birth was marked with simultaneous royal gun salutes in London's Hyde Park and at the Tower of London - 41 and 62 respectively, honoring a tradition which celebrates the birth of every prince or princess, regardless of their place in the succession.

A peal of bells also rang out from Westminster Abbey, where William and the duchess, Kate, were married in 2011.

Charlotte, fourth in line to the British throne behind her brother Prince George, father William and grandfather Prince Charles, was born two days ago in a London hospital.

William and Kate are expected to travel to their country residence in southern England in the next few days to present their daughter to the queen, who is spending time nearby.

Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, welcomed the choice of names, saying they were "perfect".

The birth has provided a welcome distraction for many Britons from campaigning by political parties for Thursday's knife-edge general election.

Many newspapers have devoted reams of newsprint to the royal birth, pushing political coverage off the front pages.

Some, such as the Daily Mail, were quick to provide readers with articles on the origin of the name Charlotte.

"Fit for a princess!," the paper's online version said. "A long history dating back to the 17th century, and meaning 'petite' and 'feminine', why the name Charlotte is perfect for the new royal baby," it wrote in a headline.

Others were less enthusiastic. The Independent published a list of stories it said had been edged out by the royal news.

"Away from the ... birth of the Princess of Cambridge, however, the rest of the world has continued," it wrote.

Source: Reuters

Nigeria seeks new coach for men’s basketball team

The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, has declared vacant the job of coach of the men’s national team, D’Tigers.

The President of the NBBF, Tijani Umar, who stated this at the end of the federation’s board meeting on Sunday, said the board unanimously agreed to this decision after due consultation with the technical committee. The new coach to be appointed will lead the D’Tigers to the defence of their All African Games title
and the 2015 FIBA Africa Basketball championship in Tunisia.

The coaches interested in the job are to submit their application to the Nigerian Basketball Federation’s secretariat and the best candidate will be selected after interviews have been conducted, he said.

Mr. Umar said the selection will be based on merit as the team hopes to make a return to the Olympics in Rio 2016 by coming tops at the 2015 Afrobasket in Tunisia, having made their debut at the Olympics in London 2012 via the qualifying event in Venezuela.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/182404-nigeria-seeks-new-coach-for-mens-basketball-team.html

Enugu APC leaders trade insults over ministerial appointment in Buhari administration

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State in the April 11 governorship election, Okey Ezea, on Sunday insisted that he was attacked by the party’s national vice chairman in the South East, Emma Eneukwu, over ministerial slot in the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He said Mr. Eneukwu attempted to slap him in the presence of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, a senator, Chris Ngige; and other leaders of the party at a meeting in Abuja but that he used his hand to block his attacker.

Mr. Ezea had in a text message to some journalists on Friday alleged that he was attacked by the national vice chairman.

The text reads: “Emma Eneukwu slapped me today because I told South East leaders that Nsukka has not been minister since 1999. He did this before Rochas, Ngige, Izenaso, J.O.J, General Eze, Ucha etc. I just said the truth and requested justice and equity in the affairs of our party and Enugu State. Emma wants to be minister by violence. Emma is from Udi LGA which has minister since 2007, including the incumbent, Chinedu Nebo. We must fight injustice and oppression. APC is change.”

But Mr. Eneukwu denied the allegation, saying there was no such meeting.

Speaking in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES at the weekend, Mr. Ezea said the national vice chairman actually attempted to slap him but that he defended himself.

He said Mr. Eneukwu took offence when he suggested that his zone, Nsukka also called Enugu North Senatorial District, should fill the ministerial slot to be allocated to the state in the Buhari administration.
While the governorship candidate is from Nsukka zone, Mr. Eneukwu hails from the Enugu West Senatorial Zone.

“The guy attacked me. I didn’t want to engage him in a fight. I won’t do that. I did not make up the story. If you are in doubt go and ask Governor Rochas Okorocha or Julius Ucha, Chris Ngige, Izunaso and others that were there,” he said.

The governorship candidate explained that after a meeting of the South East APC members, he and some other members of the party from the Nsukka Zone, sought audience with Mr. Okorocha to discuss the issue of ministerial appointment with him.

He said they explained to the governor that it had almost become an unwritten agreement in the state that the zone that produces the governor should also produce the minister.

According to him, virtually all the ministers appointed from the state in 1999 came from the same zone as the governors of the state and that the incoming APC federal administration should do the same.

“If APC wants to do the right thing, what is wrong with that? That was why everybody agreed that the governor this time should come from Nsukka zone and everybody applauded it.

“Now in this dispensation the governor-elect (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) is from Nsukka zone and therefore it is the turn of the Nsukka people to produce the minister if we must talk about equity. The Nsukka people have never been appointed minister. Is that not injustice?

He explained that he was not fighting for himself to be appointed a minister but that he wanted to ensure that the Nsukka zone was not marginalised in the scheme of things.

“This thing is not for myself. I feel I am right because you cannot always go with the crowd,” he said.

Read more: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/182401-enugu-apc-leaders-trade-insults-over-ministerial-appointment-in-buhari-administration.html

Maiduguri records first rain in 2015

Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, recorded its first rainfall for the year on Sunday, making residents to express joy after weeks of intense heat, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The rain which started at about 5.30 p.m. and lasted for 30 minutes, brought relief to the city which has experienced temperature of more than 47 degree Celsius.

Alpha Ibrahim, a resident of the town, said that he was happy with the development.

Ali Goni, another resident, said that the heat recorded in the area before the rains was unbearable.

“Nobody thought it will rain today, we just saw a heavy dust without any cloud in the sky.”

A similar phenomenon was recorded in Abuja on Saturday when residents also witnessed a moderate rainfall that brought about moderate cool weather.

Source: NAN

Nigerian government faults petrol importers on N200 billion subsidy claim

The Federal Government has faulted the N200 billion claim by oil marketers as outstanding payment on subsidy.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, faulted the claims on Sunday in Abuja while briefing journalists.

“As you know, we paid N156 billion recently to the marketers; N100 billion being the principal payment we owed them and N56 billion being interest rate and some remaining exchange rate differentials.

“Prior to that, we paid them N31 billion as exchange rate differentials. At the time we paid that amount last week, what we had outstanding is N98 billion,’’ she said.

The minister said that government relies on the weekly data released by Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, to certify what was due to the marketers.

“Since we made the announcement last week, the outstanding payment has now risen from N98 billion to N131 billion.

“And they (marketers) are now making a demand of N200 billion and I asked them what is the balance for.”

The minister said the marketers were making demands for huge sums in exchange and interest rate differentials.

She added that the government had made it known to them that what they were requesting was huge especially the exchange rate differentials.

She said that PPPRA needed to look at the figures to ascertain if the way they were calculated was in line with the exchange rate policy of the Central Bank.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said the outgoing administration would not want to leave unverified claims or burden for the incoming government to pay.

“So, this (marketers claims) must be thoroughly looked into and certified.

“We recognise that the marketers are business people and should be paid; but the rate at which they have continued to hold Nigerians to ransom is discouraging.

“It is unfortunate that this is happening now when the government has prioritised their payment,’’ she said.

She recalled that in 2011 when huge sums were owed the marketers, Nigerians were not held to ransom and no fuel station was closed.

She said that the government had appealed to the marketers as Nigerians to make little sacrifice, adding that they should not allow Nigerians to suffer.

Mrs. Okonjo–Iweala explained that the template used for calculating the marketers’ claims was designed to cover the entire cost of their business including the profit margin.

According to her, the template approved by PPPRA, indicated that the marketers face few risk in their business as government bore the entire burden.

“It is actually that template that we have been quarrelling with.

“The template said the marketers must be paid interest rate differentials, profit margin guaranteed, plus the principal amount they spent on the business.

“Based on this, the government is bearing the full risk of their business even now that we have revenue shortfall,’’ she said.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala expressed concern that the situation had degenerated to the level where the marketers had formed cartels that could ground the nation at will.

“I strongly suggest that the nation has to do something about it; Nigerians have to do something.

“We have been labouring under this for a long time and it’s been stressful for everybody,’’ she added.

The Minister said that since 2011 when the system was restructured payment had been regular and what the government paid the marketers reduced from N2.3 trillion to N971 billion.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/182406-nigerian-government-faults-petrol-importers-on-n200-billion-subsidy-claim.html

Man who supplies fuel, food to Boko Haram arrested – Nigerian military

The Nigerian military said it has arrested a man who specialises in supplying food and fuel to Boko Haram insurgents in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.

The culprit, the military said, was arrested Sunday morning in Daban Shata, in the suburbs of Baga, Borno State’s third largest community.

The Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Chris Olukolade, in a statement said the supplier, wanted by the military, was eventually nabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning. He said the culprit is currently undergoing interrogation as the military continues its offensive against the insurgents in the north-eastern part of the country.

The arrest and interrogation may lead to answers to questions that have been asked on how the insurgents were able to fuel their convoy of vehicles and motorcycles with which they carried out their attacks in the past years.

The spokesperson also said 260 women and children were rescued in the outskirts of Chalawa village in Adamawa State. These are separate from the 275 women and children rescued by soldiers from Sambisa forest in Borno who were earlier handed over to the emergency agency, NEMA.

Mr. Olukolade said the 260 rescued were held up while trying to escape from the terrorists. He said soldiers took them back to their various communities in Madagali following normal security profiling.

“Some of them disclosed that they had to abandon their homes to escape from the terrorists when Madagali came under their attack, while others were actually abducted and taken there,” Mr. Olukolade said.

The Major General said some terrorists were killed in an encounter with troops who caught up with them as they fled prior to the recovery of the women and children. Some of the terrorists, however, escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

Others who were captured are now being interrogated by intelligence officers.

Mr. Olukolade added that a machine gun, some rounds of ammunition, and some motorcycles and bicycles were also captured from the terrorists.

A member of the vigilante group serving as guide to the troops was, however, wounded.

He said operations in Sambisa forest are continuing.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/182407-man-who-supplies-fuel-food-to-boko-haram-arrested-nigerian-military.html