Justice Yusuf Halilu of the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has issued an ex-parte order
directing that the Paris-London Club Refund bank accounts of Abia, Cross River,
and Delta states be frozen.
The accounts to be frozen are
listed as follows: Abia state Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1019892950,
UBA Bank Plc; CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 101989719, UBA Bank Plc;
and DTSG CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1012906702, Zenith Bank Plc
respectively.
The court gave the order amidst allegations
that the governors of the three states preferred payment to family members,
friends, and cronies in the guise of settling the fees for consultancy services
at the expense of the real consultant progenitor of the Paris-London Club
Refund.
Abia state government reportedly
owes the real consultant progenitor the sum of $11,325,000 and N1.72bn; Cross
River state government owes the sum of $8,050,000 and N1.2bn; While, Delta
state government owes $27,274,135 and N3bn.
According to documents, the court order was sequel to an affidavit in support of ex-parte originating summons sworn to
by Dr. Maurice Ibe, the Chairman and Managing Director of Mauritz Walton
Nigeria Ltd, and filed before the court by his Counsel; Alex Marama, Charles
Ude, and Kenneth N. Esq
Ibe averred that there is an
urgent need for the court to direct the third defendants (United Bank for
Africa (UBA) Plc and Zenith Bank Nig. Plc) in the suits CV/2470/17, CV/2536/17,
CV/2469/17 and motions M/8777/17, M8780/17, M/8784/17 to, in the interim, stop
further disbursement of the money already in or accruing to the respective
Paris-London Club Refund accounts domiciled with them which belong to the three
states respectively.
The Court also ordered the banks
to set up an escrow account where the said funds will be deposited pending the
hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
Abia state government led by
Theophilus Orji had engaged Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd on the 3rd of November,
2014 to pursue the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and
miscellaneous charges in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.
Similarly, Cross River government
engaged the same consultancy firm on the same date for the same purpose in
exchange of 20 percent of any fund recovered.
Delta state government under
governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan also engaged the services of Mauritz Walton Nigeria
Ltd in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.
Justice Halilu, while granting
the order freezing the accounts, adjourned the suit to 7th September, 2017 for
hearing.
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