Alleged N5bn diversion: Anambra govt, others dragged to court

A former member of the House of Representatives, Chudi Offodile, has dragged the Anambra State government, a company owned by the family of Governor Peter Obi, Next International Limited and six others before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over the allegation that the Sabmiller Breweries sited in Onitsha was set up with N 5 billion belonging to Anambra State.

Also joined as defendants in the suit are Intafact Beverages Limited, Sabmiller Nigeria Holdings BV, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In the suit filed through his counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), Offodile is asking for a declaration that the brewery (Intafact Brewery) established by the first defendant, Intafact Beverages Limited wholly belongs to the government of Anambra State.

He also asked the court for an order directing the first, second and third defendants (Intafact Beverages Limited, Sabmiller Nigeria Holdings BV, and Next International Nigeria Limited) to render full and complete account of the operations including the costs for the establishment of the brewery established with the monies of the government of Anambra State and known as Intafact Brewery.

Offodile further asked the court for an order directing the fifth defendant (Corporate Affairs Commission) to rectify the records of the first defendant by removing the names of the second and third defendants as the shareholders/directors of the first defendant.

In what he termed as the particulars of the alleged fraud, Offodile averred that as of 12th April, 2011, the first defendant did not have 300 shares of N100,000 each purportedly allotted and as represented by the written resolution of the board of directors of Intafact Beverages Limited dated April 12th, 2012.

According to him “the consideration provided for the allotment of shares in the first defendant by second defendant and fourth defendants is the sum N23million and N3million respectively.

“Monies belonging to the government of Anambra State were illegally diverted and siphoned towards the establishment of the brewery. Neither the second defendant nor Sabmiller Africa (to whom 9,987,500 ordinary shares of N1.00 each was allotted in the authorised capital of the first defendant) brought any capital towards the establishment of the brewery known as Intafact Brewery owned by the first defendant,” he contended.

Offodile further averred that “Sabmiller Africa which was allotted 9,987,500 ordinary shares of N1.00 each in the authorised share capital of Intafact on 16 April 2008 is an offshore company registered in the Republic of Mauritius. Sabmiller Africa is not the same legal entity as Sabmiller Nigeria Holdings BV to which 230 ordinary shares of N100,000 each were purportedly allotted on April 12th, 2011.”

Source: Tribune