EFCC charges three Ekiti commissioners with money laundering
By Kayode Ketefe
Published: Wednesday, 23 Aug 2006

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, dragged three commissioners in Ekiti State to court over alleged money laundering.


The Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Boboye Olanipekun; the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Kayode Osho; and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Richard Ojo, have now been charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Also charged along with them is Mr. Gbenga James, an associate of the state Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose.

James‘s company, Biological Concepts Nigeria Ltd, was also joined as the fifth accused person.

James is already standing trial alongside the governors Personal Assistant, Mr. Goke Olatunji, before Justice Tijani Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Lagos over similar offences.

Both James and Olatunji were granted bail on Monday by Justice Abubakar and were yet to perfect the bail.

In the EFCC‘s new charge against the commissioners, dated August 16, 2006 and signed by Mr. Seidu Atteh, the accused persons were alleged to have ”concealed the true origin” of N11.5m which was part of the state‘s poultry project fund.

The 12-count charge consists of alleged money laundering, concealing the source of funds, acceptance of fraudulent money and conversion of funds.

The EFCC also alleged that Osho ”accepted the cash payment” of N10. 5m between April and December 2004 from one Wale Aromole ”on the instructions of Gbenga James.” The money was said to be part of the Ekiti poultry funds.

Ojo and Olanipekun were also accused of having ”accepted cash payment” of N1m each from the Biological Concepts Nigeria Limited between September and November 2004.

James was accused of conversion of N720,000 of the poultry funds which was entrusted to his company.

All the offences were said to be punishable under Sections 14 (1) and 15 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

The count 12 of the charge read, ”That you Gbenga James, Biological Concepts Nigeria Ltd and Kayode Osho on or about March 31, 2004, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did convert the sum of N720,000 from the money meant for the execution of the Ekiti State Integrated Poultry Project, which money was entrusted in the hand of Biological Concepts Nig. Ltd. as a consultant to the Ekiti State Government.

”In respect of the said scheme, to buy ten air conditioners for Kayode Osho which sum you knew represented the proceeds of crime with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said crime and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) of Money Laundering Act.”

The court is yet to fix the hearing date for the arraignment of the accused persons.