The Principal Private Secretary to Umaru Yar’Adua, Mr. David Edevbie, is wanted in England by the London Metropolitan Police to be tried for money-laundering, Saharareporters reaffirms.
It would be recalled that last week, we broke the story that Mr. Edevbie, along with Henry Imasheka, had been declared wanted for their role in the conspiracy by former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori and the former Governor of Akwa Ibom, Victor Attah, to defraud their states of about $37 million from the sale of V-Mobile shares.
That story was contradicted by ThisDay newspaper in Nigeria today, in a story which cited a “spokesperson of the Met Police.” In addition to not naming its source, ThisDay carefully did not acknowledge the existence of a legal matter nor ask about any charges. In the story which was clearly designed to launder Mr. Edevbie’s image, the newspaper noted: “Edevbie served as Ibori's Commissioner for Finance from 1999 to 2004 and had left the government when many of the controversial transactions took place.”
Speaking to SaharaReporters today on behalf of the Metropolitan police, however, Ms. Ruth Shulver, Senior Press Officer, Specialist Crime Press Desk, observed that for strategic reasons, they could not have confirmed (to ThisDay) whether Edevbie is or is not wanted for an arrest. “You can quote me saying that,” she said.
Saharareporters thus stands by its original and follow-up stories, and the full charges against all of the players involved. On 10 September, the day after we broke the story, three of the conspirators, Ibori UK lawyer Bhadresh Gohil, Mr. Daniel Benedict McCann and Mr. Lambertus De Boer, appeared in court and their trial continues in Southwark Crown Court, London.
Others involved in this story include the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, and Love Ojiakovo. Mr. Tinubu is not being charged in London, it seems, because he did not try to launder his share there.
With specific reference to Mr. Edevbie, a so-called product of "Harvard University", the Metropolitan police said they had sought to interview him regarding his role in the V-Mobile through mutual legal treaty requests to the Attorney General of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, but the AGF stalled. The terrible ThisDay spin that Mr. Edevbie has now sent his lawyers to fish for the charges against him in the UK fall flat in the face of pronouncements last week by Nigeria's Attorney-General, Michael Aondoakaa.
The AG admitted that he had been contacted by the Metroplitan police over the case, but his major pre-occupation was to protect all corrupt persons for a fee, he refused to act on the request.
It will be interesting to see whether Mr. Edevbie travels to the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, which opens next week--if Yar'Adua is fit enough to make it--or undertakes any trips to the United Kingdom in the near future, as proclaimed by the ThisDay report.
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The charges are below:
1. Conspiracy to defraud-Common Law
Between 01/09/2005 and 01/01/2007 1. Conspiracy to defraud:
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That Bhadresh babulah Gohil, Lambertus de Boer and daniel benedict Mc Cannn between the 1st day of September 2005 and the 1st day of january 2007 conspired together and with Jmaes onafefe Ibori, Victor Attah, david Edevbie, Love Ojakovo , and others to defraud state within the Federation of Nigeria, namely Delta State and Akwa Ibom State, of sums representing part of the sale of shares owned by the said states in Vee Networks (Nigeria) Limited (trading as V Mobile) to Celtel (Nigeria) BV, and held in the names of their respective authorized ministries or agencies the said sums being paid to a company named African Development Finance Limited or its predecessors under an Exclusive arranger Agreement to a total invoiced value in excess of $37,000,000 United States dollars
Contrary to common law.
H.O 53/4 Local None CJS COL011
2. Make a false instrument with intent it be acceoted to genuine-Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
Between 01/09/2005 and 01/07/2007 2. Conspiracy to make false instruments:
That Bhadresh Babulal Gohil, Lambertus de Boer and Daniel Benedict McCann between the 1st day of September 2005 and the 1st day of July 2006 conspired together and with James Onafefe Ibori, David Edevbie, Love Ojakovo and others to make false instruments, namely letters and other documents whuich purported to be made ondate or otherwse in circumstances in which they were not mad, in relation to alleged services provided by African Development Finance or its predecessors in relation to the sale of shares by Delta State in Vee Networks (Nigeria) Limited (trading as V Mobile), with the intention that they or another should use the said letters and documents to induce somebody to accept them as genuine and by reason of so accepting to do, or not to do, some act to his own prejudice or that of any other person.
Contrary to section 1 (1A) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
H.O 61/21 Local None CJS FC81002
3. Proceeds of Crime-arrangement re criminal property -money launder
Between 15/04/2006 and 09/09/2009 3. Money Laundering:
That Bhadresh Babulal Gohil, Lambertus de Boer and Daniel Benedict MCCann with others between the 15th day of April 2006 and the 9th day of September entered into or became concerned in an arrangement which they knew or suspected facilitated (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person or persons, namely the use of the company African Development Finance Limited or its predecessors as a front to receive and launder on behalf of another person sums paid to it under the terms of an Exclusive Arranger Agreement, up to an invoiced total in excess of $37,000,000 United States dollars, in relation to the sale of shares owned by Delta State and Akwa Ibom State in Vee Networks (Nigeria) Limited to Celtel (Nigeria) BV on or after the 15th April 2006.
4. Proceeds of Crime -arrangement re criminal property-money launder
Between 15/04/2006 and 09/09/2009 That Bhadresh Babulal Gohil, Lambertus de Boer and Daniel Benedict McCann between the 15th April 2006 and the 9th September 2009 together with others entered into or became concerned in an arrangement which they knew or suspected facilitated (by whatever means) the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person, namely the sale of the assets of the company African Development Finance Limited or its predecessors to another company vehicle, on terms which would represent a gross undervaluation of those assets to a legitimate company.
Contrary to section 328 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
H.O. 38/2 Local None CJS PC 02006
5. Proceeds of Crime-conceal/disguised/converted/transfered/removed criminal property
5. Money laundering:
That Bhadresh Babulal Gohil, Lambertus de Boer, and Daniel Benedict MCCaann on or about the 21st December 2006 together with James Onafefe Ibori, Victor Attah, henry Imasheka and others concealed, disguised, converted and transferred criminal property, namely the sum of $10 million (USD) being a purported loan from African Development Finance Limited to a company named Ascot Offshore (Nigeria) Limited, they knowing or suspecting that that sum constituted the benefit from criminal conduct of another person, or that it represented such benefit in whole or in part and whether directly or indirectly.
Contrary to section 327 of the proceeds of crime Act 2002
H.O. 38/1 Local None CJS PC02020
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