FG withdraws N2bn fraud suit against Danjuma’s aide

The federal government, through the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force, on Monday discontinued a criminal case filed before the Lagos federal high court against Manasseh Obadiah Zorto, special assistant to Theophilus Danjuma, a lieutenant-general and former minister of defence.

Zorto was charged to court for allegedly defrauding Danjuma of more than N2 billion.

When the matter came up on Monday before Justice Chukwujeku Aneke, Effiong Asuquo, the SFU lawyer, applied to withdraw the charge against the accused person.

The defence team led by Ricky Tarfa (SAN) did not object to the prosecution’s application, paving way for the judge to strike out the charge.

The accused was initially charged before Justice Okon Abang during the last long vacation of the court in 2014. At the end of the vacation, the matter was assigned to Justice Aneke, who has now struck it out based on the prosecution’s application.

According to the charge, marked FHC/L/221C/14, the accused person fraudulently used his position as an employee of Tita-Kuru Petrochemicals Limited, T.Y Holdings Limited and Central Realities Limited – all three linked with Danjuma – to steal about N2 billion from the companies.

The accused was said to have used his position as executive director and special assistant, finance and investment to chairman of the companies (Danjuma), to perpetrate the alleged fraud.

In the 19-count charge filed by the SFU, the accused was said to have defrauded the companies about N1.6 billion and $121,468.

Some of the counts read: “That you, Manasseh Obadiah Zorto, while being employed and acting in the capacity of a servant at Tita-Kuru Petrochemicals Limited, on or about December 10, 2008, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud your employer, did make or was privy to making false entry in a book or document belonging to your employer, to wit, that the project cost for the year 2008 was $40,869,989.00 whereas in fact, it was $8,594,989.00, resulting in a fraudulent overpayment of $322, 750.00 (N43, 571, 250.00) to yourself, thereby committed an offence of fraudulent false accounting, contrary to Section 438 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 17, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

“That you, Manasseh Obadiah Zorto, while being employed as Special Assistant, Finance and Investment to Chairman, T.Y Holdings Limited, on or about March 1, 2010, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, knowingly made a false representation of facts to Chairman, T. Y Holdings Limited, to wit, that a company known and registered as SMS Forever Limited (RC#868956) was a veritable investment with huge potential capable of yielding up to 214 per cent return on investments within a period of less than one year, and with the intent to defraud, induced T.Y Holdings Limited to deliver to SMS Forever Limited, the sum of N240 million, thereby committing the offence of obtaining property by false pretences, contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006.”