Massad Boulos, senior adviser to US President Donald Trump for Arab and African affairs, has threatened legal action over claims that he benefitted from the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.
Recent social media reports claimed that SCOA Nigeria, a
company that deals in heavy-duty trucks and where Boulos serves as chief
executive officer (CEOO), supplies equipment to Hitech Construction Company
Ltd.
The federal government awarded the Lagos-Calabar coastal
road project to Hitech Construction Company, a division of the Chagoury Group
owned by the family of Gilbert Chagoury.
Gilbert Chagoury is a Nigerian-Lebanese businessman who is
an ally of President Bola Tinubu. He was explicitly listed as the president’s
“confidante” when he attended the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates (UAE), in December 2023, as a member of Nigeria’s delegation.
Boulos, Trump’s adviser, is also a Lebanese citizen who has
business interests in Nigeria.
The social media reports also alleged that Trump has
remained silent on issues in Nigeria, reportedly on the advice of Boulos, due
to the alleged benefits his company is receiving from the federal government.
However, in a cease-and-desist letter, Kemi Pinheiro,
counsel to Boulos and his family, said his clients have not “received,
appropriated, or benefitted from any such exaggerated or fictitious sums from
the federal government or any other entity whatsoever”.
Pinheiro said the allegations against his clients are
“false, baseless, and constitute a figment of the author’s imagination”.
“We act as solicitors to Massad Fares Boulos, the entire
Boulos family and SCOA Nigeria Plc, on whose instructions we write,” the letter
reads.
“Our clients’ attention has been drawn to certain malicious,
scandalous, and highly defamatory videos currently circulating on social media,
wherein unfounded allegations are made suggesting that our clients unjustly
benefitted from allocations under the Federal Government budget in connection
with the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project.
“Our clients categorically deny these allegations in their
entirety. The claims are false, baseless, and constitute a figment of the
author’s imagination.
“At no time have our clients received, appropriated, or
benefitted from any such exaggerated or fictitious sums from the federal
government or any other entity whatsoever.
“These publications are not only misleading but have caused,
and continue to cause, serious harm to our clients’ hard-earned reputation and
standing.
“Accordingly, we hereby demand that all individuals, social
media platforms, and entities involved in the dissemination of these
falsehoods:
“Immediately cease and desist from further publication or
circulation of the said videos and related content, and remove and take down
all existing posts, videos, or materials containing the defamatory
allegations.”
The counsel said his clients will file a petition and
institute legal action if the cyberbullying does not stop.
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