Two Chinese arrested for offering N100m bribe to EFCC top official

Two Chinese nationals have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for offering a sum of N50 million (Fifty million Naira) as bribe to its Zonal Head, Mr Abdullahi Lawal.

Disclosing this, the EFCC in a statement by its Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale yesterday in Abuja said the suspects whose names were given as Mr. Meng Wei Kun and Mr. Xu Kuoi were arrested by its Sokoto Zonal Office on Monday, May 11, 2020.

THE DAILY VENDOR gathered that the bride was allegedly offered “in a desperate bid to compromise ongoing investigations of a construction company, China Zhonghao Nig. LTD, handling contracts awarded by the Zamfara State Government,” The contracts were said to be between 2012 to 2019 and is to the tune of N50 billion (Fifty billion Naira).

Oyewale further disclosed that the commission is equally investigating the construction company in connection with the execution of contracts for the construction of township roads in Gummi, Bukkuyun, Anka, and Nassarawa towns of Zamfara state, including the construction of 168 Solar-Powered boreholes in the 14 Local Government Areas of Zamfara.

The spokesperson said “Alarmed by the consistency and professionalism of investigation being conducted, the company reached out to Lawal with an offer of N100 million (One Hundred Million Naira) as bribe to bury the matter.”

 “In a grand design to trap the corrupt officials, Lawal played along, and on Monday, two representatives of the company Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi offered him cash totaling N50million (Fifty Million Naira) in their office along Airport Road, Sokoto. The cash was offered as a first installment”

“The suspects were promptly arrested with the cash as evidence”

“Investigation of the construction company was informed by an intelligence on alleged conspiracy; misappropriation of public funds; embezzlement; official corruption; abuse of office, stealing and money laundering obtained against the Zamfara State government through inflated and uncompleted contracts awarded to the company”

“Investigations have so far revealed that China Zounghao Ltd has received payments of over N41billion (Forty One Billion Naira) from the Zamfara State government, out of which about N16, 000, 000, 000. 00 (Sixteen Billion Naira) equivalent of over $US53,000,000.00 (Fifty Three Million US Dollars) was allegedly diverted and traced to some bureau de change operators.”