MTN Staffs Dragged To Court Over N1.3b Land Scam

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

Ruth Bamidele, Lagos

Three staff members of MTN have been dragged before a Lagos court for allegedly stealing the sum of N1. 358 billion belonging to company’s employees under the pretence of buying landed properties for them.

The accused persons include Victor Akintunde, Gani O. Mustapha, Mutairu Babatunde, and their companies Primavera Engineering and Construction Ltd. and Mabo Dredging Ltd.

The accused are slammed with seventeen count charge boarding on obtaining money by false pretence, intent to defraud, forgery of signature and issuance of dud cheque.

The Economic and Financial Crime Commissions (EFCC) is prosecuting the case

According to the anti graft agency, the accused, about 8th of April, 2008 conspired to steal the sum of N77,000,000.00 (Seventy seven million Naira) property of MTN Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative Society (MEMCOS) being outstanding refund for 5hectres out of 13 hectres of land that was purchased for the society from Mutairu Baba Egbe Family.

Also, the accused on the 10th September, 2009, with intend to defraud, stole the sum of N516,697,340.00 (Five hundred and sixteen million six hundred and ninety seven thousand, three hundred and forty naira) property of MTN Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative Society (MEMCOS) being sum fraudulently claimed used to compensate early settlers in 26hecters of land amounting to 321 plots of land bought for the society from Jagun Opolu family.

The offence were said to be contrary to section 6, 8(a)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

The anti-graft agency also held that, the accused on the 25th April, 2008, with intent to defraud issued a dud cheque to First Bank, cheque no Pc68290484 to cash the sum of N427,114,414.00 (Four hundred and twenty seven million, one hundred and fourteen thousand, four hundred and fourteen naira) in favour of MTN Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative limited.

The matter has been adjourned till 26 March, 2014