How FIRS Director Peter Hena Received N700m Cash Payment - EFCC Reveals

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has revealed how a former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Peter Hena, received over N700 million cash between January 2017 and December 2018.

Investigations by the anti-graft agency indicated that Hena and eight others shared N4.5 billion in illegal estacodes and fraudulent Duty Tour Allowances.

The Commission had last Thursday arraigned Hena on 42-count before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Also arraigned were the Director of Finance,Mohammed Auta; Amina Sidi (Finance and Account department); Umar Aduka (Internal Audit); Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager); Obi Malachy (Services Group); Obaje Adofu (Head of Budget); Udo-Inyang Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director).

A reproduction of the rate sheet obtained by way of The PUNCH from the EFCC on Tuesday, specific how the defendants shared the N4.5b amongst themselves.

The announcement disclosed that at the same time as being FIRS coordinating director, Hena established N45m coins from Auta with out going via a financial organization contrary to section 1(a) and punishable under section sixteen(2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,2011 as amended via Act No. 1 of 2012.

EFCC investigations additionally discovered that Hena obtained some other N75m coins price from Mbura and N99m from Okeke.

Count six of the rate similarly stated, “That you, Peter Hena, while being Co-coordinating director inside the Federal Inland Revenue Service among January 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable courtroom did accept N127m from Benjamin Jiya which surpassed N5m with out going via a economic organization contrary to segment 1(a) and punishable underneath section 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012.”

The first defendant changed into also said to have received N145m cash from Sidi of the FIRS Finance and Accounts department.

Detectives additionally discovered that Hena similarly received N92m cash from Aduku and any other N128.6m from Auta who became said to have taken ownership of N258.6m from different FIRS officials.

In addition, the EFCC said that Auta whilst being finance director retained N85m “underneath the guise that the budget become for stakeholders” when he moderately ought to have recognized that the fund shaped proceeds of illegal activities, fraud, corruption and crook appropriation of public finances.