The Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) have formally submitted a document stating that Nigerian Senator, Chimaroke Nnamani embezzled $41.8 million while serving as Enugu State Governor.
The document which was submitted as part of a forfeiture procedure alleged that Chimaroke Nnamani used the stolen funds to acquire luxury properties in the United States’ state of Florida.
According to People’s Gazette, the document revealed that Chimaroke Nnamani conspired with his sister, Chinero Nwigwe and three others, whom the document named as Peter Mbah(who is currently running for Enugu State Governorship stool), Sam Ejiofor and Chika Ohaa, to siphon Enugu State funds during his regime as governor between 1999 and 2007.
The FBI document said Mr Nnamani, stole $41, 868, 877.05 in one of many prohibited schemes he undertook during his tenure as Enugu governor. Authorities said the money was about N5.3 billion at the time, but it is worth around N31 billion today due to inflation and other factors.
The Bureau further revealed that “On February 22, 2007, Nnamani paid a total of $1,800,000 in cash” to buy a proper at 1972 Bridgewater Drive, Heathrow, Florida.
The FBI had thought “Chimaroke Nnamani’s official salary as governor is the equivalent of $10,670 per year; thus, it appears unlikely that Nnamani possesses an adequate source of legitimate income to account for the purchase” of the posh landed properties he acquired in Florida.
The FBI further stated that Nnamani was “involved in a scheme to defraud the State of Enugu, Federal Republic of Nigeria, in violation of Nigerian law since at least 2003 and continuing until at least 2005.”
Chimaroke Nnamani allegedly opened 20 bank accounts with AmSouth Bank in Orlando, Florida, where he locked up the public funds he looted even while serving as governor and was equally not ignorant that it was against the law to maintain bank accounts abroad as an elected public official in Nigeria.
According to the FBI document, Mr Nnamani had set up a firm, Rock City Group, LLC, to carry out the fraud.
Delivering his verdict, Judge William Acker of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ordered forfeitures of Mr Nnamani’s assets to the U.S. government on grounds that Nnamani was not earning enough as Enugu State Governor to be able to amass such wealth.
CREDIT: PEOPLE’S GAZETTE
