The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed fresh fraud and money laundering charges against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and seven others over alleged irregularities linked to a N10.8 billion closed-circuit television (CCTV) project in the state.
The indictment comprises 11 counts all of which were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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Court documents shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, show that the case was filed on 17 April at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, marking a new layer in the former governor’s ongoing legal battles over financial transactions during his time in office.
Others named in the charges include a former Kaduna government official, Jimi Lawal; Darwish Mohammad, Senior Vice President of IHS Towers and former Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria; and five companies — Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, and Noble Coast Resources Limited.
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They allegedly committed the offences between September 2015, a few months after Mr El-Rufai took office,
In count one, ICPC alleged that Mr El-Rufai unlawfully approved the award of an N8.68 billion CCTV contract in Deember 2015 to Singularity Network Security Limited, a firm the commission said lacked the requisite competence, in breach of procurement laws.
ICPC alleged in another count that, in September 2020, Singularity Network Security LimitYed, Mr Darwin and Emad Sukker, Vice President, Head of MENA Region, IHS Towers, allegedly received N324.8 million suspected to be proceeds of fraud.
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The commission also alleged in another count that, in January 2020, the same defendants received another N83.1 million linked to unlawful acts.
Also in January 2020, ICPC said, the defendants similarly took possession of N18.16 million suspected to be proceeds of fraud.
The agency also said Mr Lawal, Singularity Network Security Limited and Solar Life Nigeria Limited received N925 million linked to fraudulent proceeds in October 2019 and took possession of N65 million derived from unlawful acts in September 2017.
In another count, naming Singularity Network Security Limited and Intercellular Nigeria Limited as the defendants, the commission accused them of receiving N47.5 million suspected to be fraudulent proceeds in October 2019.
Similarly, ICPC said in another count that in 2019, Singularity Network Security Limited and one of Mr El-Rufai’s sons, Bashir El-Rufai, who the agency said is at large, allegedly received N30 million linked to fraud. Meanwhile, Bashir El-Rufai is not charged as a defendant in the case but only named as a conspirator in Count 8.
The next two counts also centred on funds allegedly received in October 2019. During the period, the commission alleged, Singularity Network Security Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited received N386.2 million as proceeds of unlawful acts, and took possession of N23 million linked to fraud.
In the last count, the commission alleged that in November 2022, Singularity Network Security Limited and Intercellular Nigeria Limited received N250 million suspected to be proceeds of unlawful acts.
Earlier charges
The case is the third ICPC has filed against Mr El-Rufai since March.
The ICPC is prosecuting him before the Kaduna State High Court on amended charges, including alleged fraudulent payment of N11 billion to Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited, described by the commission as an unregistered entity, for a light rail project that was never executed.
READ ALSO: Phone Tapping Charges: Court postpones El-Rufai’s bail hearing, orders his remand
The fresh case came days after the ICPC re-arraigned him before the court following an amendment of the charges. He pleaded not guilty.
The charges at the Federal High Court in Kaduna accused him of fraud and money laundering which he allegedly committed by taking inflated severance pays after completing his first and second terms as governor in 2019 and 2023 and taking suspicious $817,900 funds.
ICPC is not the only agency going after the former governor.
On 23 April, the State Security Service (SSS) arraigned him n five charges of breach of national security. The SSS filed the charges against Mr El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja February, following his claim on a live television programme that he intercepted National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s phone call.
In February, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detained him for about two days to investigate for yet undisclosed allegations.
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