A
Representative of Coscharis Motors, Justin Ngele, yesterday told the Judicial
Panel of Inquiry probing the administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi of
Ekiti
State that his organisation supplied 156 vehicles worth N1,284,159,000
based on oral agreement.
Led by the
counsel to the automobile firm, Peter Jiya, he said the company executed the
deal on trust.He added that the state government later issued a letter of award
for purchase of additional 59 units of vehicles which were equally supplied.
Ngele said
of the 235 vehicles supplied between 2013 and 2014, N1.449 billion was paid,
leaving behind a balance of N459 million.But a witness from the Ministry of
Local Government, Samuel Akinjide in his statement on oath, alleged that the
ministry received an invoice of N1,284,159,000 for the financing of 156 Ford
Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for traditional rulers in the state.
He also
claimed that the then Commissioner for Finance, Vincent Kolawole, had taken
delivery of the vehicles before the official communication. Akinjide averred
that “Coscharis Motors on May 2, 2014 requested for payment in respect of 235
vehicles instead of the 156 units the ministry was directed to purchase.
“By this
letter, there is no evidence that Coscharis Motors paid taxes on the vehicles.
The automobiles were distributed without the input of the ministry.”
He
continued: “The local councils were to settle the debt on equal basis even
though they did not solicit for it.“The General Administration Department (GAD)
and the Ministry of Finance have been contacted but they all claimed ignorance
of the purchase.”Consequently, the panel adjourned sitting till September 8 to
enable the automobile company tender original documents to back its claim.
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