From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A private consultancy firm, Mauritz Walton Nig Limited, has filed a suit against the Abia State government over alleged breached of contract bordering on the Paris Club Refund.
This came as some offAcials of the state government including a former Commissioner of Finance, Obina Oriaku are currently undergoing investigation of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over their alleged role in the Paris Club Refund scandal.
Also invited by the anti-graft agency
for questioning are the present Abia State Accountant General, Kelechi Imeoria, Philip Nto, Oriaku’s predecessor in office among others.
According to an insider source, some of the officials were said to have been arrested late Thursday while more were brought in to the Enugu zonal of the commission for questioning on Friday.
The action of the commission is sequel to a petition by a consultancy film – Mauritz Walton Nig Ltd – alleging that despite engaging it to reconcile the state debt profile with the federal government, the state government refused to pay after executing the job.
The consulting firm accused the government of the state of laundering the consultancy fee allegedly through Nigerian Governors’ Forum and paid some of the fees to a known front of Abia State government officials.
In the petition, Mauritz Walton had urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the Abia State government for laundering through spurious consultant.
Stating further, Mauritz Walton in the petition alleged rather been paid for the job done, the state government went ahead to pay a firm which did not do anything concerning the debt profile of the state.
Meanwhile, the consultancy film, Mauritz Walton Nig. Ltd has instituted a suit before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja against the Abia State government over the alleged breached of contract.
In the suit, the firm alleged that Abia government had engaged it to pursue the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and miscellaneous charges in exchange of certain percent of any fund recovered.
In the affidavit, Dr. Maurice Ibe, the Group Executive Chairman/CEO of the company averred that Abia state government owes Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd the sum of N12bn.
He said Abia state government had engaged Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd on November 3, 2014 to pursue the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and miscellaneous charges in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.
But since completion of the reconciliation and been paid by the federal government, according to Dr. Ibe, Abia government refused to fulfill its part of the agreement, but rather suspiciously brought in a known front of several Abia State governments to fraudulently claim his fees.