The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will
Thursday arraign the embattled Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, Dr. Wale
Babalakin (SAN) before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, for money
laundering.
Babalakin is alleged to have laundered
various sums of money on behalf of the former Governor of Delta State,
Chief James Ibori while he was in office.
It was learnt that
Babalakin would be arraigned alongside four others on a 27-count charge
of money laundering amounting to N3.4billion before Justice Adeniyi
Onigbanjo. The commission had last week charged Babalakin and others -
Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Limited, Bi-courtney Limited and Remix
Nigeria Limited - for the alleged offence.
EFCC alleged that
Babalakin had conferred benefits with the former Delta State governor
“to wit N1,356,600.00 on contract awarded to Stabilini Visioni Limited
by transferring the sum through a third party to Erin Aviation Account
in Mauritius for the procurement of an aircraft. It also accused the
five suspects of siphoning $11.3million abroad for Ibori through the
Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius.
The charge sheet, dated
November 21 read in part: “That you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin,
Stabilini Visioni Limited and Bi-Courtney Limited, between May 2006 and
December 2006 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did
corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit:
the sum of N1,356, 600 billion on account of contracts awarded by Delta
State
Government through various third parties to Erin Aviation
Account in Mauritius for the purchase of Challenger Jet Aircraft by the
said James Onanefe Ibori.
“That you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale
Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and Bi-Courtney Limited on or
about May 3, 2006 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did
corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit:
the sum of N145,500,000 on account of contracts awarded by Delta State
Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said sum
through third parties to Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius for the
purchase of Challenger Jet Aircraft by the said James Onanefe Ibori.
“That
you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and
Bi-Courtney Limited on or about May 10, 2006 within the jurisdiction of
this Honourable Court did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor
James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N141million awarded by Delta
State Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said
sum through third parties to Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius for the
purchase of Challenger Jet Aircraft by the said James Onanefe Ibori.
“That
you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and
Bi-Courtney Limited on or about 10th May 2006 within the jurisdiction of
this Honourable Court did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor
James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N118million awarded by Delta
State Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said
sum through third parties to Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius for the
purchase of Challenger Jet Aircraft by the said James Onanefe Ibori.”
Other
funds allegedly laundered by Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni, Bi-Courtney
on May 5, 10 and 26 were N100 million; N89 million; N102 million; N35
million; N156 million; and N67 million.
The EFCC also alleged
that on June 2, 2006, the suspects “did corruptly confer benefit on
former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N260 million on
accounts of contracts awarded by Delta State Government to Stabilini
Visioni Limited by transferring the said sum through various third
parties to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of
Challenger Jet.
The charge sheet also revealed the dollar
components of the funds laundered by the suspects in company with two
others. The EFCC accused Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni, Bi-Courtney,
Renix Nigeria Limited and Alex Okoh of laundering about $11.3million for
Ibori.
They are to face trial for alleged “retention of proceeds
of a criminal conduct, contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.
No comments:
Post a Comment