The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, declared the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Limited, Leno Adesanya, wanted for alleged “conspiracy and corrupt offer to public officers” over the $6 billion Mambilla hydropower contract.
In a notice issued by anti-graft agency, Adesanya was mentioned in three of seven count charges against former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC over the same contract scam.
The former minister was arraigned by the EFCC in January on seven-count charges bordering on the fraudulent award of a contract and official corruption.
In one of the counts where Adesanya was specifically mentioned, the EFCC alleged that on “August 10, 2019, Agunloye corruptly received the sum of N3,600,000.00 through his Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya for approving the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” without the approval of the Federal Executive Council.
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In another mention, the EFCC alleged that on May 22, 2003, Agunloye awarded a contract, titled “Construction of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, without any budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing.
Meanwhile, Sunrise Power has dragged Nigeria to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, France, alleging a breach of contract.
The company is contending that it was awarded a $6 billion build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract in May 2003 by the Obasanjo administration but that the federal government repudiated the agreement.
Sunrise is seeking a compensation of $2.3 billion, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.
But in its defence at the arbitration, the Nigerian government is alleging fraud and corruption of public officials in the award of the contract.
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