The trial of Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani Sulaiman, Hajia Fatima Mazangari and Saleh Yerima Tsojon, who allegedly ran a syndicate that defrauded the FG of N1.2bn, continued yesterday, with the prosecution witness giving insight into how they carried out the fraud.
“We received intelligence of the syndicate operating in Kaduna being led by Hajia Fatima Mazangari” she said. The accused persons, according to her, used two companies – Xangee Technologies Ltd and Century Construction Company Ltd, to perpetrate the fraud.
She told the court that Xangee, owned by Mazangari, was offered a biometric contract by a former HoS, Steve Oronsaye, to regularize names of pensioners on the pensions’ payroll, but smuggled in names of fake pensioners (including his own name), and collected unearned pension.
“Investigations revealed that Xangee, an IT firm was paid about N153m for the biometric contract, but the process of awarding the contract did not follow due process as there was no contract bidding, yet payment was made,” she said.
The 2nd accused person used 3 variants of his name to open 3 different pension accounts, into which a total of about N24m was paid; the money was afterwards withdrawn and handed over to Fatima.
She added: “During investigations, it was also discovered that Saleh Yerima Tsojon who at the time was serving his mandatory NYSC service in Calabar, was receiving pension payment which amounted to about N23m.” The 4 accused persons are being prosecuted by the EFCC, on a 29-count charge.
They are alleged to have obtained N1.2bn from the FG purporting same to be monthly pension payable to M. S. Suleiman, Saleh Yerima Tsojon, Isah U. Adamu, Daniel Mikano, and Abdulahi Garba Musa who were falsely held out as pensioners, by inserting their names in the pensioners’ payroll. Hearing continues today.
credit:instablog9ja
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