Date Published: 12/03/09

$1.8million fraud: American victim gives evidence in court

…Says I was tricked with fake NNPC contract

Mr. Carl D. Vance

An American politician and financial expert, Mr. Carl D. Vance this morning at the Ikeja High Court presided over by Justice Josephine Oyefeso, narrated how he lost a whopping $1.8million to a Nigerian 419 syndicate following promises of non existent lucrative oil contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. He stated this while giving evidence in a 21 count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretences preferred against a Nigerian businessman, Chief Collins Oyejiaka by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mrs. Elizabeth Ayodele, Vance told the Court how he fell prey to the 419 syndicate of which Oyejiaka is the arrowhead. He said that in the winter of 1995, he attended a reception hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C for the National Association of State Treasurers of which he was a member of the corporate affiliate advisory board.

At the event, he said he got talking with other invitees who were discussing investment opportunities in foreign countries. In the process, he claims that he was introduced to a certain Chief E. D. Akan by a man who claimed to be a staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington. Akan was introduced to him as a member of the board of directors of the Nigerian national oil company, the NNPC. Akan, he recalls, wasted no time putting across some very lucrative investment proposals to him .One of those proposals turned to be a lucrative oil contract with the NNPC. Vance, who didn’t suspect any mischief, fell for the bait. This, he narrated, marked the beginning of his financial involvement with the syndicate. To land the lucrative contract, the victim who is a Rotarian was asked to make all manner of payments to purported Nigerian government agencies to secure non existent documents and certificates. He listed the documents to include Customs clearance, NDLEA clearance and NNPC fees, among others.

By 2001 when it dawned on him that he was being duped, he had lost close to $2million. The payments were wired to the syndicate in several countries including United States of America, United Arab Emirate, Switzerland, Zurich and Brussels.

Desperate to recover some of the money, Vance said he placed a call on all the money but was only able to recover a paltry $110,000 from UAE through Communal Credit Bank and the police in that country. Such cooperation however was not forthcoming in other jurisdictions. He met a brick wall in Swiss banks most of which requested him to hire an attorney to pursue his cause.

Vance lamented that he has lost almost all he had to this fraud. He told the court that he had to sell his cars, house and all valuables he possessed to raise the money. He added that he thought that he was dealing with genuine government officials not knowing that he was dealing with fraudsters.  

After he gave his evidence, the prosecutor Mrs. Ayodele crossed examined him and he affirmed all he wrote in his statement.

The respondent counsel, Mr. Richard Omo Ahonaruogho also cross examined the witness during which he told the court that he had never met the accused person before and that he met one or two members of the syndicate outside the country. The victim also told the court that he didn’t pay any money into any bank account in Nigeria.

Before the victim was called to give evidence, Mr. Bawa Abdul- Rasheed, an EFCC investigator who is PW1 was cross examined by the accused person’s counsel and he told the court that the accused did promise to refund some of the money traced to his account if the EFCC could assure him that he would not be prosecuted.

After listening to both parties, the trial Judge adjourned the case to January 18, 2010.

 The witness had early this year petitioned EFCC over the massive 419 heist that began in 1995 .Following the report, the accused who is the chairman of C.B Trust Limited, was arrested. Investigations revealed that he used the company as the conduit to perpetrate the fraud. After the completion of investigation, he was arraigned and slammed with a 21- count charge bordering on Advance fee fraud, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.