By Melvin Onwubuke
A former Assistant Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, Tarique Ghaffur, has started investigations into the contract award of cargo and crude oil tracking note scheme to a Belgian firm, Antaser BV, by the Federal Government.
The firm is also in legal tussle with Antaser Belgium and Antaser Nig Ltd, Velocity Logistics and Maritime Services, Winslow Logistics, Equal Logistics and Saham Crystal Investment Nig Ltd and individuals, the claimed beneficiaries of the project to execute the Advanced Cargo Declaration/Cargo Tracking Note Scheme.
Donnington, which alleges wrongdoing and breach of extant laws in the contract award, engaged the services of Ghaffur to dig into the contract award, as it alleges that the award was in breach of relevant provision of the Public Procurement Act.
In a statement issued by the Managing Director of the company, Mohammed Sani, he said, “We have some compelling information which leads us to suspect that wrongdoing within the high levels of the Federal Government, its ministries and agencies, has taken place.
“Accordingly, we have engaged Tarique Ghaffur, a former Assistant Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, and his team of public corruption and economic crime experts, to investigate such wrongdoing, which appears to have its foundations in the continuation of thefts of crude oil.”
It is generally believed, that senior government officials and top military officers have been involved in the oil theft.
Donnington alleged that the award to Antaser Bv Belgium and the other companies was because those in government were looking for a cover for their allies in the organized crime of oil theft.
It noted that the Federal Government unilaterally appointed six additional undertakings as cargo tracking operators from January 24, 2024 rather than Donnington Nigeria Ltd which fulfilled all of the requirements and was approved by the President on May 4, 2021, in order to reinstitute the scheme.
The company said it had also secured other necessary approvals from the various ministries and agencies.
It states that Ghaffur, who has successfully led many high-profile international investigations, both while with the police as head of Scotland Yard’s Specialist Crime Directorate, and as the head of an international security consultancy, had already commenced his pre-investigation review.
Meanwhile, According to Donnington Ltd, certified documents obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria show that government officials of former President Muhammadu Buhari may have used proxy companies to hijack a cargo tracking contract which triggered an ongoing legal battle between it and the Federal Government.
“This tends to suggest that the government officials involved unduly influenced the Bureau of Public Procurement, whose duty it is to carry out due diligence.
“Only Velocity Nigeria Ltd was duly registered, according to checks. The four others companies, which were not endorsed by SCUML, as required, are Antasar Nigeria Ltd, Equal Logistics Ltd, Winslow Logistics Ltd and Sahams Crystal Investment Ltd.
“This was confirmed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a letter to solicitors of Donnington Nigeria Ltd, which was dated March 30, 2023. It was in response to their inquiry after they had gone to court to challenge the sham award of the said CTN contract,” the company noted.
