Alleged N150m Bribery, $5m Trial Begins In Lagos October 3
MORE than twenty notable Nigerians are getting set to commence a class action against Lagos-based oil magnate and former Managing Director of Duport Midstream Company Limited, Atlantic Refineries and Chairman of Platform Capital, Mr Akintoye Akindele, over alleged scam, running into over $150 million (over N240 billion).
Media practitioner, Lere Olayinka, who spoke to journalists on Saturday, on behalf of the victims disclosed that a senior lawyer based in Abuja is said to have been briefed by some of the victims.
This is coming a few weeks before his trial in Lagos for alleged diversion of $5,636,397.01, and N73,543,763.25, belonging to Summit Oil International Ltd, and bribery of the police with N150 million.
The trial, which was moved to Lagos from Abuja in May this year, will begin in Lagos on October 3.
“The trial of Akindele for allegedly bribing the police with the sum of N150 million to stall their investigation will begin in Lagos on October 29,” a source in the know told our reporter.
Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on May 9, 2024, ordered that the trial of Akindele in an alleged $5.6m fraud be moved from Abuja to the Lagos division of the court.
Akindele and his company are standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of $5,636,397.01, and N73,543,763.25, belonging to Summit Oil International Ltd, founded by the late philanthropist and politician, Chief Moshood Abiola. He is also facing prosecution for allegedly bribing the police with N150 million to stall their investigation.
As he will be facing two trials next month, Olayinka told Daily Independent that his victims in the various scams he allegedly perpetrated in the past are coming together for a class action against him.
He disclosed that one of the victims, a notable player in the oil industry, initiated the move for the class action, and opened a WhatsApp Platform to coordinate other victims.
In law, Class Action allows one or more persons (plaintiff) to sue on his or her own behalf and on behalf of a number of persons (class) who have a claim to a remedy for the same or similar alleged wrong.
In recent time, Akindele has been in the eyes of storm with accusations and counter accusations bothering on misappropriation of funds, alleged shares racketeering, manipulating boards decision among other allegations.
On March 1, this year, a Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the remand of Akindele at the Kuje Correctional Centre in the nation’s capital. Justice James Omotosho ruled that Akindele should remain in custody till March 20, when the court will consider documents confirming the perfection of the bail granted him earlier.
Akindele and his company, the second defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/570/2023, were said to have committed the act between 2017 and 2021 when they allegedly converted the said sum received from Shell Petroleum Company into personal use.
Olayinka said; “I am aware that he is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly collecting $35 million from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board to build a refinery in Brass, Bayelsa State.
“All of the $35 million has been spent, yet there is nothing to show for it. No refinery, no buildings, nothing”
Meanwhile, Akindele is also alleged to have also been involved in other shady deals against other people.
Meanwhile, his journey towards the trials started when he was arrested by the police in Abuja, early this year, in alleged underhand practices to the tune of $25 million against Duport Midstream Company Limited, part of which a sum of $5.6 million belonged to Summit Oil International.
On August 16, 2023, Music Entrepreneur, Lanre Dabiri, otherwise known as Eldee Tha Don, alleged that Akindele used a venture capital vehicle, Platform Capital, to collect funds from investors while he, without suspecting any at the time, acted as face and voice of the brand without the promised injection of funds.
“Sheyman, the artist, producer and entrepreneur, introduced me to a man by the name, (Akin)Toye Akindele who at the time had a capital advisory firm. What do they do? They look for business, invest in businesses, and fund those. The thing for me at the time was ‘Oh, you have this thing going on, you got these artists, you’ve got the music, let’s partner and set up a bigger entertainment entity which was IMAN Entertainment.
“They said they would put in so so million dollars, do this, do that blab bla. So I am on the board, unknown to me, as it is said, what essentially was happening was him and his partners at the capital advisory firm, had people who were funding what was supposed to be Iman Entertainment.
“However, Iman Entertainment was not getting money but Eldee, who was the face of Trybe and IMAN, was basically everywhere trying to hold it all together.
“I had to pay money from my pocket, it affected relationships that I had, I get a little emotional about it now. And that’s because there were people caught in-between. The artists, the staff, the businesses, vendors and more. I kept telling them money would come. I had to dip into my accounts in the United States, dip into my accounts in Nigeria.
“Akindele and his partners kept assuring us. Where you were supposed to get $1 million, you get $10,000. It went on until he got into trouble and he went on to float another entity to continue his business,” Eldee said.
Meanwhile, there were other alleged issues bothering on financial dealings against Mr Akindele, as he is to appear in court next month.
