The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced plans to file for the repatriation of the former managing director of Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola, and two aides of Cecilia Ibru, the former managing director of Oceanic Bank, Nana Shettu and Dele Oye, an EFCC source told NEXT on Monday.

Akingbola and Oye are believed to be in the UK, while Ms. Nana-Shettu is believed to be currently in the United States.

The source, who refused to be quoted because he is not authorised to talk on the case, also revealed that new money laundering charges are being prepared against Mrs. Ibru and Mr. Oye in the light of fresh discovery. An EFCC source said the two had been involved in a strange financial transaction of $110 million.

“It was discovered that she paid Oye $110 million in the name of Waves Nig. Ltd,” the source said.

As at 2006, Waves was owned by one of the sacked directors of Oceanic Bank and Mrs. Ibru, who had relinquished the ownership to Oye and Nana-Shettu. The same company was constructing the Oceanic Bank headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The source also disclosed that the commission found out that out of the $110 million, there was a direct payment of $10 million into Mrs. Ibru’s personal account.

“The monies were supposed to be facilities granted to Waves to build the headquarters,” the source said. “The building was to be owned by Waves, but rented to Oceanic Bank and the land on which it is built was owned by the Ibrus. The building is presently still undergoing construction, but the Oceanic Bank has already paid a $22 million rent for 10 years. Oye is being used as a front for the Ibrus,” he said.

All these, he said, form the basis for the fresh charges and the basis used by the EFCC prosecutors to prepare the papers for repatriation.

EFCC working on them

“We have to file charges different from the previous ones in court,” he said. “If they cannot come home, then we will now ask the court to repatriate them. Our lawyers are preparing fresh money laundering charges against Ibru, Oye and Nana-Shettu to enable us repatriate them.”

There are also indications that the commission’s officials will again move to Lagos within the week to begin investigation of the recently sacked bank managing directors and the remaining debtors.

The spokesperson for the commission, Femi Babafemi, said he does not have details about the new charges.

“I don’t have the details you referred to,” he said. “But I know the commission is working very hard on the cases of some of the individuals you referred to.”
Source: 234next.com
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