Hena, FIRS Director Shared N4.5billion, Pocketed N700million Alone – EFCC Tells Court

Court papers filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has indicated how former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Peter Hena, shared a whopping N4.5billion with eight other persons, as the fraud case against the officials opens.

The papers also indicate that Hena, who was Thursday arraigned Hena on 42-count before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, received over N700 million cash between January 2017 and December 2018, for himself, in the scam, which was linked to illegal estacodes and fraudulent Duty Tour Allowances (DTA).

Those also named in the scam, included 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).

At various times, Hena allegedly accepted N45m cash from Auta without going through a financial institution contrary to section 1(a) and punishable under section 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012 and another another N75m cash payment from Mbura and N99m from Okeke.

Other monies received between January 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja , included N127m from Benjamin Jiya which exceeded N5m without going through a financial institution contrary to section 1(a) and punishable under section 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012, N145m cash from Sidi of the FIRS Finance and Accounts department.

There was another N92m cash from Aduku and yet N128.6m from Auta who was said to have taken possession of N258.6m from other FIRS officials.

In addition, the EFCC stated that Auta while being finance director retained N85m “under the guise that the funds was for stakeholders” when he reasonably ought to have known that the fund formed proceeds of unlawful activities, fraud, corruption and criminal appropriation of public funds.

Aduku was found to have transferred N200m to Hena, and also paid N97.1m into his own GTB bank account number 0023004712 under the guise of duty tour allowances.