How FIRS Director Received Over N700 Million Cash Payment — EFCC Reveals

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has revealed how a former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Peter Hena, received over N700 million cash between January 2017 and December 2018.

Investigations by the anti-graft agency indicated that Hena and eight others shared N4.5 billion in illegal estacodes and fraudulent Duty Tour Allowances.

The Commission had last Thursday arraigned Hena on 42-count before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Also arraigned were 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).

A copy of the charge sheet obtained by The PUNCH from the EFCC on Tuesday, detailed how the defendants shared the N4.5b among themselves.

The statement disclosed that while being FIRS coordinating director, Hena 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.

EFCC investigations also revealed that Hena received another N75m cash payment from Mbura and N99m from Okeke.

Count six of the charge further stated, “That you, Peter Hena, while being Co-coordinating director in the Federal Inland Revenue Service between January 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did accept 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.”

The first defendant was also said to have received N145m cash from Sidi of the FIRS Finance and Accounts department.

Detectives also discovered that Hena similarly received N92m cash from Aduku and another 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.