N136m arms sale fraud: Court finds Air Vice Marshall Omenyi Guilty

#Breaking Guilty Verdict. Court finds Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi standing trial for allegedly diverting over N136 million meant for purchase of arms by the military, guilty.

#Breaking Guilty Verdict. Court finds Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi standing trial for allegedly diverting over N136 million meant for purchase of arms by the military, guilty. pic.twitter.com/Wu01ElAeai

— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) February 28, 2019

Former Managing Director of Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited (AETSL), a company owned by the Nigeria Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Tony Omenyi allegedly received over one hundred and thirty six million Naira kick back from Syrius Technologies and Sky Experts Limited – two contractors of the Nigeria Air Force.

Air Vice Marshal Tony Omeyi Omenyi was convicted in a 3-count charge bordering on abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N136.325.000.00 (one hundred and thirty six million, three hundred and twenty five thousand naira).

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Nigeria has indicted more than 300 local and foreign companies and individuals, including senior military officers, over an arms scandal.

They are accused of defrauding the country of $241m (£170m) in fake contracts, a government statement says.

President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a probe 2015 after funds meant to buy weapons to fight Boko Haram militants were allegedly diverted.

More than $35m has been recovered in the investigation so far.

The contracts were awarded by the office of the national security adviser from 2011 until 2015, the statement from the office of the president says.

It lists all the companies and individuals indicted including former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, who is facing separate fraud charges linked to the arms scandal.

Mr Dasuki, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, has previously denied the allegations of corruption in relation to phantom contracts.

The investigation was done by a special committee appointed President Buhari, who came to office in May partly on a promise to clamp down on corruption.

The committee found that contracts were awarded “without any contractual agreement or evidence of jobs executed”, the statement says.

It gave an example of how one of the companies, Societe D’Equipement International, “was overpaid to the tune of $8.9m and $7m”.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook