Tinubu’s past haunts him...
*New affidavit alleges money laundering & other crimes
By Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar
Fresh charges of fraud, forgery and money laundering are threatening the re-election bid of Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the coming April polls.
Daily Trust gathered that these charges–and many more–have already been sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the anti-corruption commission and security agencies, seeking for his disqualification and prosecution.
An Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Olowu, has deposed to an affidavit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, affirming his beliefs on the charges.
Daily Trust has in its possession both the affidavit and a 97–page petition specifying the charges, with documents, against the governor.
Although the petition restates past forgery allegations that had earlier been the subject of legal tussle between Governor Tinubu and Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, it also brings fresh allegations against the governor.
Top among them are drug and money laundering–related charges which Olowu said had led to the confiscation of Tinubu’s 460,000 US dollars (about N62 million) by a US court in 1993.
Citing the court’s records, Olowu alleged that Tinubu was docked at the US District Court in the Northern District of Illinois State in relation to the charges.
According to the petition, the records show that an American Special Agent, Kevin Moss, had deposed to an affidavit, alleging that Tinubu was probably involved in illicit drug and money laundering activities in violation of US laws 18 USC SS 1956 and 1957.
The agent also averred that the money held in Tinubu’s and his company’s accounts at the US First Heritage Bank, N.A. and Citibank International "represents the proceeds of drug trafficking, making the fund in the accounts forfeitable to the United States, pursuant to 18 USC S981 and 21 USC S881."
Olowu said: "Any doubt as to the veracity of the depositions of Special Agent Kevin Moss in terms of the forgoing is erased by the fact that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu engaged the US procedure of Plea bargain which resulted in the US court confiscating the $460,000 in the foregoing terms on September 15, 1993 by US District Judge John A. Nordberg," (see Document A on page 4).
But reacting to this particular allegation through his Information Commissioner, Governor Tinubu denied ever facing charges on drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
He did, however, admit that he forfeited the 460,000 US dollars in question to the US government in a negotiated settlement after a civil case was brought against the funds in his accounts in the US banks.
But, he said, he did that only to avoid substantial legal costs which would have followed in the absence of a compromise.
Tinubu’s defence was contained in a statement issued by Information Commissioner, Mr. Dele Alake, and published by yesterday’s edition of Sunday Punch and This Day on Sunday.
Alake said the civil suit was brought against Tinubu’s funds (and not Tinubu in person) in 1993 based on the Special Agent Kevin Moss’s suspicious that the funds were involved in financial transactions in violation of US laws.
"No criminal charge was ever brought or considered in conjunction with this lawsuit. It was a forfeiture action only and as no charges had arisen against anyone, no conviction or resulting sentence could possibly flow from such a civil law proceeding," he said.
"As the proceedings dragged on, Bola Tinubu incurred huge legal expenses and was later advised, in view of the time, effort and expense required for long drawn out legal proceedings in the US, to enter into negotiations with the US Attorney for a compromise settlement of claims to the funds," he added.
"The terms of the settlement actually reflected the Tinubu’s position that he was the rightful owner of the funds at issue and disputed the plaintiff’s allegation that any of the account funds represented the proceeds of illegal or wrongful activities," the statement added.
"It was only to avoid substantial legal costs, which would have followed in the absence of a compromise that he (Tinubu) agreed to withdraw his claim of entitlement to (the) $460,000 USAD.
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The amount was never proven to be the proceeds of any illegal acts and there was never any legal proceeding held to determine anything more than the funds would (be forfeited) to the government without contest as part of the settlement Agreement," he added. (See Tinubu Defence on Pg. 5).
However, the petition against Tinubu was not only restricted to drug and money laundering allegations.
The petitioner also accused Tinubu of forgery and falsification of claims relating to his educational and professional qualifications.
Olowu alleged that Tinubu neither obtained a bachelors degree from the University of Chicago nor was he a Certified Public Accountant as he (Tinubu) claimed in the screening form he submitted to INEC in 1998.
"Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu never attended either the University of Chicago or the Chicago State University at anytime contrary to his claims. Neither did he obtain any B. Sc degree in Economics or Business Administration from any university. Indeed, he never qualified as a certified public accountant," he said.
Also, citing the contents of Tinubu’s passport and INEC’s screening form CF 001, Olowu further accused Tinubu of falsification of age.
"On Form CF 001, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu claimed to have been born in Lagos on March 29, 1952 whilst by passport No. A158399 issued by the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 16th February 1988, he was entered to have been born on 29th March, 1954 in Iragbiji, a place in Osun State of Nigeria," Olowu said (see Documents B and C on page 4).
An act of forgery alone, Olowu said, had clearly disqualified Tinubu from contesting elections as provided by Section (i) (j) of the 1999 constitution.
Similarly, Olowu alleged that Tinubu contravened Section 183 of the same constitution by being the Governor of Lagos and simultaneously remaining as a director of Compass Finance and Investment Company Limited.
He said "records of the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) in Nigeria confirms that as at 23rd July 2002, Bola Tinubu remains a director of Compass Finance and Investment Company Limited in addition to both Abiodun Agbele and Mueez Akande, identified as his long standing drug and money laundering associates in the Affidavit of Agent Kevin Moss." (see Document D on page 4).
In the petition, Olowu called on INEC to disqualify Tinubu from participating in the coming elections, and pleaded with the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute him.
He said the petition has shown "with compelling finality" that Tinubu "is not fit to be accepted as an aspirant" for the office of Lagos State Governor by INEC in the 2003 elections.
On the whole, we invite each of the authorities to commence their respective investigations into the above activities with a view to involving relevant and appropriate procedures," he added.
The petition’s cover note shows that both the petition and the affidavit had been submitted to the INEC, Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission (ICPC) the Code of Conduct Bureau and the State Security Service headquarters in Abuja on the 17th of January, 2003.
When Daily Trust got the petition about two weeks ago, it made efforts to reach Governor Tinubu for his reactions.
On two occasions, Daily Trust contacted the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Segun Ayobolu, both on which he promised to provide detailed defence, but in vain.
In the first instance, he said that no one should take the petitions serious because "these are political times" when opponents engage in acts of "mud slinging and blackmail."
He, however, promised to visit our office in Abuja to provide us with their detailed defence.
Last Friday, too, he phoned again and said that he was coming to Abuja at the weekend to bring the details of their defence against the petition. He never did.
FREEDOM
No one can continue to suppress and oppress the indigenous people of Lagos State forever . The spirit of ALLAH will eventually break the jinx. Now, we are determined to free our people from the shackles of SLAVERY imposed on us by Bola Tinubu .
FREEDOM FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF LAGOS STATE!, WE WANT TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE BONDAGE OF SLAVERY IMPOSED ON US BY BOLA TINUBU .
