Douglas Blessing
The Managing Director of Macobarb International Limited, Shedrack Ogboru, has called on the Inspector-General of Police to urge the police to release report of criminal investigation required to resume criminal proceedings filed in court against the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and two of its officials over alleged N4.2Bn contract scam.
Ogboru had written a petition to the IG of Police on the matter after the alleged failure of the Rivers State Police Command to comply to court order which had frustrated the court proceedings. The IG was said to have directed the Interpol to take over the case so as to comply with court order.
The Interpol is understood to have allegedly began investigations on the matter before the case was said to have transferred to another wing of the police, a move believed to have stalled the investigations.
Based on the development, the contractor has renewed the call for the IG to see the case through so that a report can be turned in.
Macobarb had filed a criminal case before a Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate, Blessings Vic-Jumbo, as part of the N4.2billion scandal asking the court to find the NLNG, its then managing director (Tony Atah), and the head of legal, Akachukwu Nwokedi liable for alleged criminal misrepresentation and fraud by obtaining value from Macobarb with false pretence.
The court granted the request of the complainants but asked the police to carry out investigation to warrant trial to begin, but the police which had begun investigations but yet to turn in its report from the investigation, thereby stalling the matter.
After many adjournment to wait for the police report, the Chief Magistrate struck out the case to avoid it clustering her docket, but urged the complainant to return to court whenever the police completed their investigation.
The Chief Magistrate ruled that the matter was brought under the right laws and could stand as a criminal suit and thus directed the police to investigate the crime brought before the court.
