Operatives of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Force
Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police, Lagos, and the
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), United States of America (USA), are
currently investigating the United Bank for Africa (UBA) over alleged money
laundering and other unethical practices.
This
revelation is coming few days after the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) raised an alarm over alleged sharp practices by banks in the
country.
The
American undercover agency said in a letter to the Commissioner of Police in
charge of the SFU at Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Tunde Ogunsakin, that it had
successfully traced a suspicious financial transaction worth $289,780 to UBA.
The
money allegedly belongs to a yet to be named person suspected to be a top
Nigerian political office holder.
It,
therefore, urged the Nigeria Police investigators at the SFU to probe the
source of the money, and especially who facilitated its movement out of the
bank.
A
letter dated July 17 and signed by the legal attaché to the U.S. office of the
Consulate General in Lagos, Kenneth B. Ivy, and addressed to Ogunsakin, reads
in part: “We appreciate your cooperation and continued assistance in the
matters of mutual interest. FBI Lagos is providing the following information
regarding SFU for action as deemed appropriate.”
The
letter added that sometime in January 2010, a suspect or suspects utilising
electronic trading plus account defrauded the account of Conley McDonnell,
resulting in the unauthorised electronic wire transfer of $289,780.
Sources
at the SFU added that operatives have since swung into action and that the case
is undergoing thorough investigation.
“The
investigation team is headed by a senior police officer, Chief Superintendent
of Police (CSP) Osung Ekpo, and a huge progress had been made,” a source added.
It
was gathered that the prime suspect has been arrested and is cooling his heels
at an FBI detention facility in Washington DC, USA.
“The
Bureau de Change operator that allegedly wired the money out of Nigeria through
UBA has been arrested in the U.S. and we are making arrangement for his
transfer to Nigeria,” said another top police source.
On
Monday, the EFCC said some financial institutions in Nigeria were into some
unethical practices, a development that is impacting negatively on the nation’s
economy.
Chairman
of the commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, who revealed this to newsmen in Abuja,
added that the development was worrisome.
“EFCC
is getting increasingly disturbed with activities of Nigerian banks. To say the
least, our banks are still knee-deep in some unprofessional conducts,” he had
said.
The
anti-graft agency boss stated further that activities of some of the banks were
already impacting negatively on the economy and that “unless they sit up, EFCC
would have no other option than close in on them.”
“No
one among them is into banking business; all they are doing is cutting corners
to make illegitimate money. But their time is up and we would get them.”
Lamorde
lamented that banks in the country were still into money laundering and other
financial crimes.
“Some
of them round-trip foreign exchange, thereby depriving the country of the much
needed foreign exchange. They do not sell foreign exchange to those that would
make use of it; instead they prefer dealing with Bureau de Change operators.”
The
EFCC boss said the commission had concluded arrangement to probe some of the
identified banks and bring them to book very soon.
According
to him, “The operation would start very soon and we would take them unawares,
because they are short-changing the economy.”
Lamorde
also alleged that most of the high profile cases in the country are being
frustrated by the banks.
“They
would do everything possible to frustrate investigation, using some lawyers.
But we would soon move against them.”
Lamorde
said the nation’s economy and her currency would have done better if banks were
truly into genuine banking business.
Credit: Daily Independent
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