The Senate on Friday said it had uncovered a massive fraud ring within the Ministry of Niger Delta as officials were indicted of illegally disposing six vehicles worth N90 million for pantry sum of N2 million less than one year after acquisition.
This discovery was made public by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, after its investigation based on the 2015 report of Auditor General of the Federation.
In the wake of the discovery, it demanded that the Accounting Officer in the Ministry (Permanent Secretary) should be sanctioned for illegal disposal of those vehicles.
The vehicles were purchased from JBS motors on 23rd of June and 18th August 2014.
The report submitted to the Senate for consideration said, “the Ministry disposed a total of 22 vehicles to various beneficiaries in May, 2015 and realized a total sum of N5.2 million.
“Out of the 22 vehicles, six were purchased on 23rd of June and 18th August 2014 from JBS Motors and Co, Abuja at a total cost of N105 million and duly paid for.
“Less than one year after acquisition, six vehicles costing N90 million were sold at a ridiculous sum of N2.1 million.”
In its response, the Ministry claimed that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing was invited to evaluate the vehicles before they were sold.
But, the Committee in its investigation discovered that the evaluation report of the Federal Ministry of Works did not include the newly purchased vehicles.
As a result, the Senate Committee mandated the repayment of N61.4 million being the disposable value of the vehicle
