Paris Club refund scam: Court orders ‘consultant’ to forfeit N1.4bn

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered the temporary forfeiture of a total of N1.442,384,857.84bn found in the bank accounts of three firms, which allegedly impersonated the consultants engaged by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to analyse the Paris/London Club Loans refunds due to the states.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which obtained the forfeiture order on Friday, claimed that the defendants obtained N4.3bn from the Nigerian Governors Forum by making false claims.
Listed as defendants in an ex parte application taken before the court on Friday were Melrose General Services Limited; WASP Networks Limited; and Thebe Wellness Services.
The firms were accused of impersonating a consortium of consulting firms engaged by the governors’ forum for the “verification, reconciliation and recovery of over-deductions on Paris and London Club Loans on the account of states and local government between 1995 to 2002.”
According to the EFCC, the original firms engaged by the governors’ forum were GSCL consulting and Bizplus Consulting Services Limited.