By Nkechi Eze
The trial of Akindele Akintoye continued on Monday before Ekerete Akpan at the Federal High Court, Abuja, with a prosecution witness telling the court that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) formally complained about the failure of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to convene board meetings and report on the progress of a project linked to the board.
Akintoye is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Platforms Capital Investment Partners Limited and Duport Midstream Company Limited on an amended six-count charge bordering on alleged dishonesty and conversion of $35 million belonging to the NCDMB project.
Testifying as the fourth prosecution witness (PW4), Isaac Yalah, a former Director of Finance and Personnel and also former Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NCDMB, disclosed this during cross-examination by counsel to the first and second defendants, E.O. Adekwu, SAN.
Yalah told the court that the NCDMB raised concerns in February 2023 through a communiqué addressed to the defendant over the failure to hold board meetings of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
According to him, the board meetings were initially held regularly to update members on the progress of the project before the meetings stopped following the resignation of several board members.
“At the initial start of the project, board meetings were held regularly to update the board members of the project until such a time where a lot of the board members resigned, so there were no regular meetings as mentioned. At that time, official complaints were made,” the witness said.
He added that the complaint related to delays in the execution of the project and the absence of board meetings required to review progress.
“I recalled specifically in early February 2023, we made a communiqué to the first defendant. When I said we, I meant NCDMB. The complaint that was raised was in accordance with Exhibit E,” he said.
The witness further explained that the complaint regarding the lack of board meetings was written on the official letterhead of NCDMB and addressed to the first defendant in his capacity as chairman and managing director.
Yalah also told the court that the NCDMB had serious concerns about the financial viability of the project.
Following the testimony, Justice Akpan adjourned the matter until March 10, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.
