The trial of Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani
Sulaiman, Hajia Fatima Mazangari and Saleh Yerima Tsojon, who allegedly ran a
syndicate that defrauded the Federal Government to the tune of N1.2 billion in
a pension scam, continued on Monday, November 2, 2015 with the
prosecution witness giving insight into how they carried out the fraud.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, O. A. Atolagbe, the
witness, Roukayya Ibrahim, an investigator with the EFCC and member of the
Pension Fraud team, told the court that the fraud was uncovered in 2010 while
the Head of Service pension board was being probed.
“We received intelligence of the syndicate operating in
Kaduna being led by Hajia Fatima Mazangari, and we immediately commenced
investigations,” she said.
The accused persons, according to her, used two companies –
Xangee Technologies Limited and Century Construction Company Limited, to
perpetrate the fraud. She told the court that Xangee Technologies Limited,
which is owned by Mazangari was offered a biometric contract by a former HoS,
Steve Oronsaye, to regularize names of pensioners on the pensions’ payroll, but
smuggled in names of fake pensioners (including his own name), and collected
unearned pension.
“Investigations revealed that Xangee, an IT firm was paid
about N153 million for the biometric contract, but we found out that the
process of awarding the contract did not follow due process as there was no
contract bidding, yet payment was made,” she said.
The second accused person, according to Roukayya, used three
variants of his name to open three different pension accounts, to which a total
of about N24 million of pension payments at different times were paid; the
money was afterwards withdrawn and handed over to Fatima.
She added: “During investigations, it was also discovered
that Saleh Yerima Tsojon who at the time was serving his mandatory NYSC service
in Calabar, was receiving pension payment which amounted to about N23 million.”
The four accused persons are being prosecuted by the EFCC,
on a 29-count charge bordering on conspiracy, and collecting by false pretence.
They are alleged to have obtained N1.2 billion from the FG purporting same to
be monthly pension payable to M. S. Suleiman, Saleh Yerima Tsojon, Isah U.
Adamu, Daniel Mikano, and Abdulahi Garba Musa who were falsely held out as
pensioners, by inserting their names in the pensioners’ payroll.
Justice Talba has fixed November 3, 2015 for
further hearing.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment