The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Limited, wanted for “an alleged consipiracy and corrupt offer to public officers”.
This was disclosed in a notice by the EFCC on Tuesday.
Adesanya was mentioned in three of seven count charges against a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC over the $6bn Mambilla hydropower contract.
Agunloye was arraigned on seven charges, bordering on the fraudulent award of a contract and official corruption in January 2024.
The EFCC alleged that on May 22, 2003, Agunloye awarded a contract, titled “Construction of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, without any budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing.
The former minister was also alleged to have on August 10, 2019, corruptly received the sum of N3.6m from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, and Leno Adesanya for having conveyed the ‘approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station’ in favour of SPTCL, which was done without the approval of the Federal Executive Council. Related News N10bn fraud: Ex-Kwara gov spends second night with EFCC EFCC arrests six suspected currency racketeers in Lagos EFCC arrests Abuja BDC operators as naira nears 1,600/$
Adesanya however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, Sunrise Power is in arbitration with Nigeria at the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, France, alleging a breach of contract, according to reports by The Cable.
The company said it was awarded a $6bn build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract in May 2003 by the Obasanjo administration but stated that the federal government at the time, rejected the agreement.
Sunrise is now seeking a compensation of $2.3bn, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.
In its defence at the arbitration hearing, the Nigerian government is alleging fraud and corruption of public officials in the award of the contract.