Maduka Cosmos, whose Coscharis Motors sold the
controversial armoured cars to a department of the
Ministry Civil Aviation, has told the House of
Representatives Committee on Aviation the matter that
his company followed due process.
Mrs. Stella Oduah, the Minister who is implicated in the
alleged fraud, is absent at the hearing, from which
Premium Times is carrying live updates.
“Absence of the Minister is a slap on the face of the
House,” said an angry Jerry Manwe, a member of the
committee from Taraba State. Last week, the committee
gave Mrs. Oduah up till yesterday to appear before it,
recognizing that she was away in Israel on official duty.
“To the best of my knowledge, we followed all due
process,” Coscharis said. “We were interviewed by SSS.
We were interviewed by the National Security Adviser.
Every due process by law was followed. We do business
with morality.”
The Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Manasa
Daniel Jatau, has told the committee that Coscharis
imported the cars without paying import duties because
there was a waiver from the Ministry of Finance. He
added that Coscharis obtained the waiver claiming the
armoured cars were part of 300 vehicles being imported
for the Sports Festival in Lagos last year. The
impression given, therefore, was that the beneficiary of
the waiver would be the government of Lagos State.
Get Liveblog Updates from PREMIUM. TIMES
15:45
The cars inspected by the House committee yesterday,
Tuesday, are different from the ones stated in the
documents between NCAA and Coscharis, the reps said.
Lawmakers say they saw cars with different chassis
number from those on the communication between
NCAA and Coscharis.
But Coscharis said since it did not inspect the cars with
the House members, it cannot say whether that was the
car they delivered to NCAA. The firm insists it has done
no wrong.
15:31
Coscharis admits telling the Ministry of Finance/NSA the
cars were meant for Lagos state government, but said
the arrangement was a usual “sponsor practice” for an
event like the sports festival, and there was nothing
wrong with that.
The company insists it did not lie. It said during events
the company gives cars for use by government, in
exchange for waivers that would be used for importing
new ones as replacement.
With a lot of gusto, Coscharis said it price was right. But
lawmakers have busted that claim by revealing that the
firm sent different prices to NCAA and NSA.
Coscharis also claims the car in question goes for about
N87 .7 million(factory price) without tax, shipping etc.
But a lawmaker has confirmed that he received a
quotation from an American firm for the same car for
about N42 million.
Jerry Manwe( a member): “Your own bullet proof is not
manufactured in the moon”
Coscharis says a seven series in America is different with
what they got from Europe.
Again, the committee said the cars they inspected
yesterday are different9in terms of chassis number) from
those stated in the documents between Coscharis and
NCAA.
15: 07
Coscharis’ Maduka: To the best of my knowledge, we
followed all due process. We were interviewed by SSS.
We were interviewed by the National Security Adviser.
Every due process by law was followed. “We do
business with morality,” he says.
Another Coscharis official: Armoured cars are in levels;
Level B7 is the highest for any civilian/VIP armoured
cars. More than that is for military tanks.
Coscharis: The controversial cars are level B7. The
BMW 760 series, bought by NCAA, goes for 418
thousand Euro from factory without shipping cost, taxes,
etc.
Coscharis offers to demonstrate a powerpoint to show
how it arrived at the cost. But is disallowed by
committee.
14.55
Coscharis’ Maduka: “People have spoken, different
media have written, I kept quiet. Nobody has called me
to ask anything. But I thank God for this opportunity to
state my own side of the story.”
“People have called me from US embassy to ask when
did you start money laundering.”
He says the whole controversy is “politically motivated”.
He pleads to be allowed to speak.
Mr Maduka said the matter is so important that his Uncle
died and will be buried tomorrow, but he has to attend
the sitting.
He said he is prepared to give details how Coscharis
arrived at the price.
14.46
First Bank asked to step aside.
Coscharis takes over.
Coscharis chief, Cosmas Maduka, calls the car scandal
“very controversial matter that has made newspaper
headlines for two consecutive weeks” as he takes the
hot seat.
14.37
First Bank cannot explain how the loan given to NCAA
for all its 54 cars climbed from earlier stated N564 million
to N643 million.
The bank claimed earlier that the difference was because
the two armoured cars were not included-apparently
untrue because of the cost.
Under questioning by the committee, the bank now says
only the NCAA can explain the difference; the bank says
it was only concerned about what the NCAA as a
customer asked for.
“Our job as financier are based on what the customers
are asking for”
14.29
Interaction with First Bank representative continues…
First Bank: The armoured BMWs were not part of the first
order from NCAA which comprised mainly Land Cruisers
totaling less than N600 million.
House chair, Nkiruka Onyejeocha: So could it be that the
BMWs were an afterthought?
First Bank: That’s for the NCAA to answer.
14.24
“Absence of the minister is a slap on the face of the
House,” Jerry Manwe, a member of the committee from
Taraba state said, apparently angered by the minister’s
absence.
14.23
First Bank official, Seyi Oyefeso, that oversaw the
transaction addressed the House committee on behalf of
the Executive Director of the bank.
First Bank was invited to make proposals alongside other
banks and tender was opened publicly on 21 of May,
2013 in the presence of other banks and media
First Bank was afterwards shortlisted alongside 7 others.
First Bank granted a loan facility of N643 million for
purchase of assorted cars.
14.19
The Customs representatives at the hearing said
Coscharis lied to the Ministry of Finance and NSA,
making them to believe that the cars were for Lagos
state government, for the National Sports festival.
The NSA office issued End User certificate without
knowing that it was doing so for cars to be delivered to
Stella Oduah or the NCAA.
So, in a way, the NSA office is right to have told
PREMIUM TIMES it did not issue end user certificate for
any bullet proof cars for Minister Oduah and the NCAA.
14.11
Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Manasa Daniel
Jatau, said the following
The two cars were imported through Tin Can Port 2;
Imported from Antwerp Netherlands.
The vehicles were cleared 19/6/2013.
Coscharis imported the cars without paying import duties
since there was a waiver from the ministry of finance.
Coscharis obtained the waiver claiming the armoured
cars were part of 300 vehicles imported for the Sports
festival in Lagos last year, and therefore the beneficiary
was Lagos state government.
The due import duty should have been N10.1 million.
The cars had an End User Certificate from the NSA office
in the name of Coscharis.
The waiver obtained by Coscharis was for one year; as
such the time of importation this year was covered.
Customs admit its laws requires that it enforces duty on
any item for which waiver was obtained, which was not
used for the purpose stated-in this case, for Sports
festival.
13.53
Car dealers as well as end users of armoured cars are
mandated to seek authorization from the office of the
National Security Adviser, NSA, before ordering or
importing such vehicles into Nigeria.
Last week, reliable sources at the office of the NSA told
PREMIUM TIMES no authorization certificate was ever
issued to either Minister Oduah or the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority, NCAA, to procure the controversial
vehicles.
13.50
Nigerian Customs confirmed that the two cars were
imported and cleared at Tin Can 2.
The Customs said the import duty on the two cars which
should have been N10 million plus were not paid
because there was a waiver note issued by the finance
ministry.
Customs also confirmed there was an End User
certificate issued by the office of the National Security
Adviser, NSA.
13.43
The hearing, proposed to start at noon, started 25
minutes late. The minister is absent at the hearing. The
committee said it will take a position on that later
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