Lawyers petition IGP, EFCC over Spaniard’s detention

  The letter signed by Abiodun Oduwole and David Ashaolu is against the Imo State government and the Nigerian partner and managing director of Hormipresa Nigeria Ltd, Benjamin Emenike, who both alleged misrepresentation and fraud.Mr Lopez-Pepe, the manager of New International FPS SL, was recently arrested by the Interpol and transferred to the Imo State […]

The letter signed by Abiodun Oduwole and David Ashaolu is against the Imo State government and the Nigerian partner and managing director of Hormipresa Nigeria Ltd, Benjamin Emenike, who both alleged misrepresentation and fraud.
Mr Lopez-Pepe, the manager of New International FPS SL, was recently arrested by the Interpol and transferred to the Imo State Police Command following a petition by Emenike alleging that he diverted the contract sum for the supply of equipment to execute a project in the state.
Barristers Oduwole and Ashaolu maintained in the letter that Mr Lopez-Pepe never received the payment by the state government for the job. They are therefore praying the IGP and the anti-graft agency to investigate Emenike and some officials of the Imo State government and make them account for the project funds.
The two lawyers have indicated their intention to file an action in Federal High Court, Owerri to challenge Lopez-Pepe’s continued incarceration.
Mr Lopez-Pepe, who explained that his company decided to partner Hormipresa as an agent for the project which was awarded on November 8, 2011 at the value of N3.6 billion, added that while he returned to Spain to procure technical drawings and other equipment for the project, the agent failed to transfer the advance 30 per cent payment valued at N1.2 billion.
The Spaniard alleges that Emenike, who has acquired several buildings and cars without commencing the project, connived with some staff of Zenith Bank Plc in Owerri to change the account mandate to become the sole signatory.
He further explained that when he threatened to report Emenike to the Nigerian authorities, he resorted to remitting small amounts to his Spanish account routed through some spurious companies in Hong Kong, Russia and UK. He added that this pattern “flagged the monies for money laundering” and the transactions were therefore refused by his government which also demanded a letter from the Imo State government.