$151m Paris Club Refund: Why I Petitioned EFCC Against Abia Govt – Witness
Group executive director and chief executive officer of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited, Dr. Maurice Ibe, has told a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kubwa, why he wrote a petition to the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission EFCC, against the Abia State government and some of its officials.
Ibe, while being cross examined by Jeff Njikeonye, SAN, counsel to 4th defendant, (Ziplon Concept), in a suit filed by Mauritz Walton against Abia State government, for refusing to pay it an agreed 30 percent of the sum of $151,410,816.39
Other defendants in the suit are the accountant general of Abia State, a bank and Ziplon Concept. Mauritz Walton sued the Abia State government for refusing to pay it an agreed 30 percent of the sum of $151,410,816.39 United States Dollars being refund of the over deduction from Abia State foreign loan portfolio by the federal government.
Upon cross examination, Ibe confirmed he was engaged by the then governor Theodore Orji to determine, reconcile and recover the sum of $151million which was owed the state government.
However, the payment of the 30 percent has become subject of litigation, upon which the revelation by Ibe was made.
The plaintiff, in his testimony, told the court that the state government brought in the 4th defendant (Ziplon) claiming it had renegotiated with it to carry out the job for the state.
