The Managing Director of Citadel Oracle Concepts Limited, Benjamin Joseph, has described the Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, as a compulsive liar over allegations of his involvement in a N170.3 million contract fraud.
He made the allegation while addressing a news conference in Abuja.
Mr Joseph who accused Zinox boss and his company of manipulation and interference with judicial processes cited several instances in which him, his wife and some top officials of the company and its affiliate were directly and indirectly linked with the alleged crime.
On how the fraud was uncovered, the Citadel boss said in July 2013, his company’s Auditor was in FIRS office in Ibadan to file the annual audited account when he was confronted with information about possible under declaration of the company’s turnover to evade tax returns from a contract by FIRS.
On investigation, he discovered that it was indeed a fraud committed by a syndicate against his company, which involved the transfer of money through a fictitious account in a new generation bank in Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos using the confidential information used in opening his company’s corporate bank account in 2008.
According to him, findings from detailed investigations revealed that apart from the syndicate hijacking the contract previously awarded to his company and executing using his company’s name without their consent and knowledge, connived with officials of the new generation bank to use the corporate information, including a Board of Directors resolution dated 18th December 2012 and his signature which were forged to open the fake account through which the proceeds of the fraud were paid.
He also spoke on his involvement of the Police in October 2013 by sending a petition to its Special Fraud Unit in Lagos against the new generation bank for unlawful opening of fake account in his company’s name, resulting in the arrest and detention of all the suspects and documents used to open the forged account recovered. He further spoke on the way forward.
In a recent widely publicised reports, the Zinox Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh denied that neither he, his wife and nine others were facing prosecution over their roles in the alleged contract fraud.
