Justice Mohammed Yinusa of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday
convicted four companies associated with former governor of Enugu State,
Chimaroke Nnamani and ordered that their properties be forfeited to the
Federal Government.
The four companies are Rainbownet Nigeria
Limited, Cosmo FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited and
Renaissance University Teaching Hospital.
The companies had on May 19, 2015 pleaded guilty to a 10-count
amended charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC. The companies are alleged to have failed to comply with lawful inquiry made by the Commission.
At
the sitting, counsel to the EFCC Kelvin Uzozie prayed the court to make
an order of final forfeiture of the companies based on their plea.
Justice
Yinusa after reviewing the facts convicted the companies and made an
order of final forfeiture of their assets to the Federal Government,
citing provision of the EFCC Establishment Act on Final Forfeiture.
The properties are located across the five states in the South East geopolitical zone.
Among
them are 22 Duplex buildings in Ebeano Under Tunnel Estate now known as
Fidelity Estate; Renaissance University Teaching Hospital; Cosmos 105.5
FM Digital Station (Ceuna Communications); and Capital City Automobile
Limited, located at 12 Station Road, GRA, Enugu.
Also forfeited to
the Federal Government include properties of Hill Gate Investment –
Plot No H12, H13, H14, H15, H21`, H116, H188, Plot 10, Plot H11, Plot
H16, Plot H17, Plot H18, Plot 19, Plot H20, Plot H49, Plot H50, Plot
H117, CP/4 (HCR2), CP5 (HCR2) CP/6(HCR2) CP/7 (HCR2) CP/8.
The
assets also include several undeveloped properties/plots of land of
Rainbownet Nigeria Limited in Enugu, Abakaliki, Aba, Owerri, Onitsha,
Awka and Umuahia.
Properties of Rainbownet Communication which
include BTS, Microwave Avenue Radio, Rectifiere, and a host of the
equipment in various sites in Anambra States are also to be forfeited to
the Federal Government.
Aside the landed properties, over N35
million from the frozen bank accounts of the companies are also to the
forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Uzozie who is
pleased with the ruling of the court said the Commission had to sought
for a separate trial of the companies as the first accused person,
former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani had stalled
proceedings on the matter on account of frequent application to travel
abroad for medical treatment on grounds of ill-health.
Chimaroke
Nnamani alongside Sunday Anyaogu, his then aide and six firms linked to
them: Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmos FM,
Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, Renaissance University Teaching
Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School were first arraigned
before Justice Tijani Abubakar in 2007.
The case was re-assigned
to Justice Charles Archibong following the transfer of Justice Abubakar,
now of the Appeal Court, out of the Lagos division of the Federal High
Court. Again, the case was re-assigned to Justice Yinusa, after Justice
Archibong (now retired) was also transferred out of the Lagos division
of the court.
According to the charge, Nnamani conspired with other accused persons to
launder funds from the state treasury, especially monies meant for the
local government areas of Enugu State.
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