The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd Leno Adesanya wanted over his alleged involvement in the $6 billion Mambilla hydropower contract.
The anti-graft agency said in a notice on Tuesday that Mr Adesanya is wanted “in an alleged case of conspiracy and corrupt offer to public officers”.
Adesanya was mentioned in three out of the seven-count charges preferred against former minister of power and steel Olu Agunloye over the multi-billion-dollar project.
The EFCC believes Sunrise Power made suspicious wire transfers to Agunloye’s bank accounts.
In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that on August 10, 2019, Agunloye “corruptly received the sum of N3,600,000.00” through his Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya for approving the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station project.
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Sunrise Power sued Nigeria at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France, alleging a breach of contract.
The company said it was awarded a $6 billion build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract in May 2003 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration but that the Federal Government repudiated the agreement.
Sunrise Power is asking for a compensation of $2.3 billion, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.
In its defence at the arbitration, the Nigerian government is alleging fraud and corruption of public officials in the award of the contract.
