The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will on Thursday arraign ex-militant Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, former director general of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, and four other persons before a Federal High Court in Lagos on a 40-count charge of laundering, conspiracy, stealing and diversion of a whooping N34 billion.
The four other persons are Kime Engozu, Rex Elem, Gregory Mbonu and Captain Warredi Enisuoh.
Four companies – Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, Odimiri Electricals Limited, Boloboere Property and Estate Limited, and Destre Consult Limited – are also to be arraigned with them.
The N34 billion the suspects are accused of embezzling came from the public private partnership agreement between NIMASA and Global West Vessel Specialist Limited.
Meanwhile, Tompolo is not expected in court as the EFCC said the summon and charge would be delivered to his known address on the orders of Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court since he has persistently refused to make himself available to the anti-graft agency.
According to the charge sheet which was prepared by Festus Keyomo Chambers on December 15, 2015, the crime was perpetrated over a long period of time between 2012 and 2015 and involved huge amounts of money in several instances.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), Patrick Akpobolokemi, Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd, sometime in 2013, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: Conversion of the sums of N27,690,113.79 (Twenty-Seven Million, Six Hundred and Ninety Thousand, One Hundred and Thirteen Naira, Seventy-Nine Kobo), and $17,491,378.64 (Seventeen Million, Four Hundred and One Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy Eight Dollars, Sixty-Four Cents), property of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, knowing that the said sums were proceeds of stealing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
Another count reads: “That you, Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo), Patrick Akpobolokemi, Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd, between April 2013 and March 2014, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence, to wit: Conversion of the sums of N1,064,670,641.67 (One Billion, Sixty-Four Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty-One Naira, Sixty-Seven Kobo), and $51,290,213.44 (Fifty-One Million, Two Hundred Ninety Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirteen Dollars, Forty-Four Cents), property of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, knowing that the said sums were proceeds of stealing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Tompolo and Akpobolokemi feature prominently in 14 of the charges while the other suspects appear in the others.
An 11th suspect, Simon John Adonmene, however, is said to be on the run.