AGF gives EFCC ultimatum to investigate Kashamu’s firm

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Kasmal International Services Limited and report back to him in three weeks.

The minister’s directive is contained in a three-paged letter dated March 4, 2016 and signed by the director of public prosecutions of the federation, Mohammed Saidu Diri, and addressed to the EFCC chairman.

The AGF requested that the purported consultancy agreement entered into with Kasmal International Services Limited for the collection of stamp duty from banking and other financial institutions in the country between the Nigeria Postal Service and the company be investigated by the anti-graft commission.

It affirmed that the agreement in question led the Kasmal Group to purport to waive all arrears of remittances owned the Federal Government by commercial banks and other financial institutions in the country from 2004 till the commencement of CBN circular No CBN/GEN/DMB/02/006 of January 15, 2015.

“The chairman of Kasmal International Services Limited is one Prince B. Kashamu, who is a senator representing Ogun State in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Acting Post Master General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Postal Service is one Mr. Enoch Ade Ogun.

“You may also need to interview Ibrahim Mori Baba, the former Post Master General of the Nigerian Postal Service and B.S Yakubu, Secretary/Legal Adviser of the Nigerian Postal Service respectively in the course of your investigation,” the statement reads.

The minister recalled that the Nigerian Postal Service is an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria established by Section 1 (1) & 2 (a) (b) of the Nigerian Postal Service Act, Cap. N127, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

A total of eleven documents were attached to the letter by the AGF to the EFCC including the Nigerian Postal Service reference No. NIP/LSD/LSA/04/VOL.11/25 dated 30th October 2013; Nigerian Postal Service reference No. NIP/PMG/019/VOL. X dated November 6, 2013; Nigerian Postal Service reference No. NIP/PMG/019/VOL/XVIII dated December 4, 2015; as well as Kasmal International Services Limited letter dated January 16, 2016 to the Post Master General.

Other documents are Kasmal Group letter dated October 28, 2013; Kasmal International Services Limited dated January 21, 2016 to Post Master General; Central Bank of Nigeria memo CBN/GEN/DMB/02/006 dated the 15th January, 2016; Nigerian Postal Service reference No. NIP/PMG/113/VOL.1/57 dated July 2, 2014 to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Nigeria Postal Service reference No. NIP/PMG/019/VOL/XVIII dated December 4, 2015; Nigeria Postal Service reference No. NIP/PMG/019/VOL.X dated November 6, 2013, as well as Nigerian Postal Service reference No.NIP/PMG/181/VOL.11 dated February 1, 2016 to the AGF and minister of justice.

The document is titled, ‘Request for the Investigation of the Purported Consultancy Agreement for Collection of Stamp Duty from Banking and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) between Nigeria Postal Service and Kasmal International Services Limited (also known as Kasmal Group) which led Kasmal Group to Purport to Waive all Arrears of Remittances from 2004 till the Commencement of CBN Circular No. CBN/GEN/DMB/02/006 of January 15, 2015 which Nigeria Postal Service was entitled under Section 89 of the Stamp Duties Act LFN 2004 to Collect as well as the N20 Penalty on Every Such Unpaid Remittance of N50 as prescribed by the said Stamp Duties Act’.

It concluded that, “In the Nigerian Postal Service reference No. NIP/PMG/181/VOL.11 dated 1st February 2016, the Acting Post Master General of Nigerian Postal Service confessed that there is no formal memorandum of understanding/contract MOU agreement between NIPOST and Messrs Kasmal International Services Limited stating any term of engagement yet Kasmal International Services Limited proceeded to grant a waiver to all Commercial Banks and Financial Institutions by letter dated 22nd December, 2015 all arrears of remittances from 2004 till 1st January 2016 which NIPOST was entitled under Section 89 of the  Stamp Duties Act to collect as well as the 20 Naira penalty on every such unpaid remittances of 50 Naira as prescribed by the Stamp Duties Act.

“See also Kasmal International Services Limited letter dated 21st January 2016 to the Post Master General/CEO, Nigerian Postal Service, Abuja. The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation respectfully request that your Commission investigate this matter and submit a Report to him within three weeks of the receipt of this letter,” Diri directed on behalf of the AGF.