Money Laundering:”EFCC Forwards Report On Tinubu To FG

AN investigative report packaged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an alleged money laundering case against former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, is now said to be in possession of the Federal Government.

Saturday Tribune can reliably reveal that the report was demanded by the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Mohammed Adoke (SAN), days before his exit from office.

The commission, which is under the supervision of the AGF, reportedly complied with the directive.
A source privy to the investigation told the Saturday Tribune that the former AGF, in a letter to the anti-corruption commission, had said that he was demanding the case-file for onward transmission to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution.

The source disclosed that the former governor was indicted by the report and the anti-corruption commission was poised to initiate prosecution before the demand by the AGF.

Saturday Tribune was told that the AGF had explained that the findings of the EFCC on the allegations of money laundering would be more suitable for prosecution by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The source noted that the only concern over the demand was that the Tribunal was yet to commence prosecution in the criminal charge brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau which indicted him for alleged operation of foreign accounts while in office as governor, contrary to the extant laws on assets declaration.

The concern was that the Tribunal which was yet to be properly constituted might find it difficult combining the two trials, while it could not be confirmed as of the time of going to the press if the AGF actually forwarded the case-file to the Tribunal as promised before his exit from office.

Code of Conduct Bureau chairman, Mr. Sam Saba, had told the Saturday Tribune that the criminal charge filed against Tinubu by the Bureau for allegedly operating 16 foreign accounts as governor between 1999 and 2007 had been pending due to the refusal of the government to appoint the remaining two members for the Tribunal for it to function constitutionally.

Meanwhile, it was gathered at the weekend that serious rumblings are on within the Tribunal over the pending appointment, which is being interpreted as President Goodluck’s Jonathan way of shielding Tinubu from standing trial due to an alleged political understanding.

It took the Federal Government public uproar to appoint an acting chairman for the Tribunal, who has been reportedly dormant due to the non-appointment of other members needed to form a quorum on the panel that would try the cases forwarded to it by the Bureau.

Apart from Tinubu, cases of high-profile office holders including ministers are also said to be pending at the Tribunal, with staff of the Tribunal said to be grumbling over the government-induced inactivity.
In the charge against him, Tinubu was accused of operating several foreign bank accounts since he assumed office in 1999 till date, “contrary to Section 7 of the Code of Condcut Bureau
and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 LFN, 1990 and punishable under Section 23 (2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part I, Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The foreign bank accounts listed against him in the earlier charge which was just slightly amended by the Bureau included;
Name of Bank: First Heritage Bank, Country Club Hills, Illinois, USA.
Account Name – Bola Tinubu
Account No – 263226700.

Name of Bank-Citibank NA New York, USA
Account Name – Bola Tinubu & Compass Finance and Investment Company Ltd.
Account Nos – 39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400220, 39936404, 39936383.

Name of Bank – Citibank International New-York
Account Name – Bola Tinubu
Account No – 52050-89451952 and 52050-89451953

Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street London, WIW 6QJ.
Account Name – Sen. Bola Tinubu
Account No – 71253670
SORT Code – 40-03-15

Name of Bank – HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street,London, WIW 6QJ.
Account Name – Sen. Bola Oluremi Tinubu
Account No – 71253670
SORT Code – 40-03-15

Name of Bank-HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street, London, WIW 6QJ.
Account Name-Sen. Bola Tinubu-Money Market
Account No – 04320002DN.

Name of Bank-HSBC, 177 Great Portland Street London, WIW 6QJ.
Account – Tinubu Habitat Oyindamola (Miss)
Account No. – 1320960111

Name of Bank – HSBC 177 Great Portland Street London WIW 6QJ
Account Name- Tinubu Zainab Abisola (Miss)
Account No. – 172447101

Name of Bank – HSBC 177 Great Portland Street London WIW 6QJ
Account Name- Tinubu Oluremi Shade
Account No. – 1916667988

Name of Bank – HSBC 177 Great Portland Street London
WIW 6QJ
Account Name- Oluremi Shade Tinubu
Account No. – 41421522.