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Alamieyeseigha owns up ... names accomplices
Bukola Ojeme
Detained former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has reportedly begun to sing like a canary, saying he actually owned the companies cited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the conduit used to siphon billions of Naira belonging to the state.
Alamieyeseigha, who is being detained in Abuja and due to appear in Kaduna before the Code of Conduct Tribunal this week, on an 18-count charge of corrupt enrichment, was interrogated by EFCC operatives last Sunday at the Force Headquarters.
Sources close to the Tribunal told Sunday Punch that the embattled former governor, in his confessional statement, allegedly admitted that he owned the companies used to loot the Bayelsa treasury.
A source in the tribunal, who pleaded not to be mentioned, confirmed that a copy of his confessional statement had been sent to the tribunal ahead of the governor’s arraignment this week in Kaduna.
“A copy of his (Alamieyeseigha’s) statement has been forwarded to us (Code of Conduct Tribunal). And from what I can see, he has more or less admitted ownership of some of the companies alleged to have been used for corrupt enrichment.”
But he claimed to have relinquished his position as a director, apparently because he was still occupying an elective public office.
“He admitted being the owner of Pesal Nigeria Limited and Salomein Nigeria Limited. But he claimed to have relinquished his position as director to one of his friends. He also admitted having interest in Solomon and Peters and Santolina Investment Corporations,” he added.
He revealed how he acquired some of the companies and how certain individuals helped him out to let out some of his properties in London.
In the confessional statement, exclusively obtained by Sunday Punch, he allegedly admitted, “Solomon and Peters Limited was registered for the procurement of Flat 202. I also used the company’s name to lease Flat 247, the Walter Gardens, London.”
The former governor equally shed light on his investment abroad, bank accounts and financial advisors.
“Santolina Investment Corporation was registered by my Financial Advisers. It has an account with Royal Bank of Scotland,” Alamieyeseigha stated.
He, however, said that he gave instructions that the Santolina account be closed in July, 2005, but he could not confirm if his bank complied with his directive.
According to him, he gave the order because he wanted to divert his money in the account into a more lucrative business.
“The bank (Royal Bank of Scotland) was instructed about July, 2005 to close the account. I do not know whether the instructions were carried out. My Financial Advisers, were instructed by the Company (Santolina) to invest the money in high interest yielding ventures. I am aware that one Joseph in Cyprus was contacted and given the mandate to treat the matter.
He, however, disagreed with the EFCC on the source of funding for Santalina Investment Corporation.
“The source of the money to Santolina is mainly the leftover of my campaign funds. I realized about N1.7 billion during my fund-raising for the 2003 general elections. Opposition was minimal. Only N230 million was spent. The balance was part of the money Bond Bank was instructed to transfer for the purpose of my children’s security.”
He referred his investigators to one Mr. Ayeni, currently being detained by EFCC and Managing Director of Bond Bank, Mr. John Darlington, for more details on how his campaign funds were managed.
“The Committee of Friends that organised the fund-raising for the general elections collected the funds and managed it. The Principal member of the fund-raising committee I was liaising with is one Mr. Ayeni.”
“The ultimate authority over the disbursement of the funds is mine. However, for obvious logistics reasons, I lost track of the movement of the funds,” he stated further.
On foreign bank accounts, Alamieyeseigha admitted operating accounts in HSBC, Bank of America and UBS.
He, nonetheless, claimed, “I do not operate personal account in UBS London, but a Trust account in the name of Falcon Flight Inc. The beneficiaries are my children. The principal purpose of the Trust is educational /health”.
“They (his children) can only benefit from it when they are above 25 years. My children are not aware of the facility. Falcon Flight and SALO TRUST are one and the same. Nasim Ahmed should explain. Nasim is Executive Director of UBS (London),” he added.
Alamieyeseigha also admitted that he awarded contracts to his friends, including one Aliyu, being held by EFCC, to whom he said he awarded a contract valued at N4.8billion for the building of the Governor and Deputy Governor’s lodges at Yenagoa.
On his relationship with Aliyu, Alamieyeseigha confessed that, “he has been assisting in procurement, renovation and sale of properties in my private capacity in Nigeria.
“He has a contract with the Bayelsa State Government for land preparations and building of the Governor and Deputy Governor’s lodges with full complements of a Government House in Yenagoa”.
“He (Aliyu) assisted me in all the properties I own in Lagos and Abuja. The contract sum of the lodges and other ancillary facilities was about N4.8billion,” he added.
He also acknowledged that one Captain Okunbor as a long-time family friend, “His company is involved in the landscaping of the Governor and Deputy Governor’s lodges”.
He further identified one Chief Sobrekon as his friend, whose company sourced parts of the State Gas Turbine project, as well as the person, who assisted him to raise a loan of $409,000 for the purchase of a two-bed room flat in Jubilee heights in London in 2000.
Alamieyeseigha, who was arrested on September 15 for money laundering but jumped bail from London to Nigeria on November 21.
He was re-arrested on December 9, shortly after the state House of Assembly impeached him from office.
Sunday PUNCH, December 18, 2005
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