$1.4m scam: Documents raise fresh posers for Defence minister, others

Fresh documents about the controversy over an alleged $1.4m contract scam have indicated that the Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen.

Mansur Dan-Ali (retd.), and two of his ministry’s officials have not come clean about details of the contract.

The contract documents obtained and published by an online newspaper_, The Cable,_ on Thursday, revealed that the ministry applied for and received approval for $1.464m from the Presidency for the United Nations’ project but awarded the said contract for $1m. There was no explanation or record to show what happened to the balance of $464m.

The contract was for the building of a United Nations Level 2 Hospital in Mali – in which the minister and three senior officials of the ministry were allegedly involved.

Dan-Ali, the immediate past permanent secretary of the ministry, Danjuma Nanfo; and the coordinator of peacekeeping, Brig. Gen. L.Y.M. Hassan, were being questioned in connection with the disbursement of part of the $1.4m meant for the project. Hassan was reported to be in detention and facing a court-martial over the issue.

UCJ, UNILORIN.