Alleged N260 Fraud: EFCC Presents First Witness Against Cast Oil and Gas MD, Amusan

The trial of Olatunji Amusan, Managing Director, Cast Oil and Gas, for an alleged N260 million fraud, continued on Wednesday, December 2, 2020...

...before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presenting its first witness, Hycenth Obinna, an investigator with the Commission.

Amusan, who was first arraigned alongside his company in November 2019, is standing trial for allegedly defrauding Nkasi Onyung, Managing Director, Energy Limited.

During today’s proceedings, the witness narrated how Onyung had approached the Commission after she was defrauded by Amusan.

The petitioner alleged that her company had issued the sum of N260 million to Amusan's company for the purchase of 3, 250litres of diesel (AGO), which was never delivered.

THREAD
1 @DisinfoEU (EUD) brought out a report on a “web of disinformation” set up by Indian intelligence. This kangaroo court drivel followed no consistent logic & by EUD’s own standards show EUD collusion with Pakistani intelligence & left wing journos in India. Let’s examine

2 first up we need to understand what this latest report is. It adds on a report released by the same group in 2019 claiming to expose the organisation of Madi Sharma. The target this time though is to link @ANI to the Madi Sharma network

3 it claims this is a 15 year operation, IE started by the UPA government under Dr Manmohan Singh. Curiously though in these 15 years it can find only 12 instances of where @ANI this news website called EU chronicle. IE less than once a year.

4 this is key, because we need to understand that their sample set for this “vast disinformation network” is exactly 12 articles - a serious sampling error by any stretch. But the innuendoes and stretches here are mind boggling. Let’s start with this image: it claims EU chronicle

5 and ANI are linked as they covered the same protests using SIMILAR angles, admitting they weren’t able to find the exact footage. However by the end of the report the innuendo becomes fact. Curiously guess who else also covers Anti Pakistan protests? @AFP used by @BBCWorld to

A year ago 22 Muslims were killed and thousands were booked under draconian charges while being brutally tortured in police custody in 2019 during the brutal crackdown by UP police against ANTI-CAA protestors.
Sharing a crux of our fact finding report in UP last year

Out of all the three deceased victims Najma Bano was the lone woman to have sought legal redressal from the Allahabad High Court for her son’s killing. “Shaheed ho gaya mera beta”, she told as she described her 23 year old son’s murder.  In the afternoon of 20th December 1/1

two of her sons including Aftab stepped out for namaz. She remarks that Aftab even told her, “Ammi, juloos mein nahi jaayenge, (mahaul) bahut kharab hai”.1/2

It was sometime then as Aftab headed back from the mosque toward his home at Babupurwa, that police firing hit and shot him fatally. Najma said her own son indicted the police before he breathed his last. “Mere bachhe ne khud hi bataya ki police waale ne goli maara hai. 1/3

Her son was in the hospital when he told her this, and she went on to stress that the doctor at Hospital shooed the rest of the family out of the ward. “No one in the hospital spoke to us properly or informed us properly. He was shot twice, two bullets not one. 1/4

I am content with #HoneyBadger overseeing this over the past 48 hours.

This is what cutting off access to illicit funding looks like. Looks like the washing machine about to break.

So many cry babies not paying attention.

EFCC Docks Man for Alleged Investment Fraud in Calabar

The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday December 2, 2020, arraigned one Joseph Stanley Okputu before Justice Imelda Etape of the State High Court, Calabar, Cross River State for ponzi scheme.

He was arraigned on a two-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N600,000.00 (Six Hundred Thousand Naira) only.

One of the charges read, "That you, Okputu Joseph Stanley ("M") on or about 6th of August 2018 in Calabar within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently converted to your own use the sum of N600,000.00 (Six hundred thousand naira), belonging to Anietie Ekong...

...meant to be invested in bitcoin/forex trading package and to be returned to him with 80% interest on the fortieth (40th) day of the investment,"...

1/ Jewish Traffickers responsible for Harvesting organs of 18000 Syrian refugee children in Turkey for people awaiting transplanted Hearts Livers & Kidneys.. watch Video. H Clinton & Brennan Involved In Haiti Syria & Libya Traffic & Harvesting globally

Coroner Joanne Kearsley begins the Verdict hearing by stating that the ruling will be a lengthy one, will take around a hour and a half. She begins by acknowledging Zamzam Ture, Shukri Abdi's mother is in the courtroom #JusticeForShukriAbdi

Lays out statutory parameters of Inquest. "An Inquest is a limited fact finding inquiry."

She has accepted evidence from Shukri's family, Children 1 - 4, GMP, Fire Service and others. The court has reviewed footage, CCTV, and videos from the phone of one of the children

She acknowledges Zamzam Ture was not provided with a satisfactory translator in the first instance.

She outlines Shukri's birth at a refugee camp in Kenya. She moved to the UK completing 5 months in primary school before moving into secondary school.

Shukri was a "joy to have in class". Shukri was remembered a smiley happy girl by her peers.

Zamzam, Shukri's Mum said prior to June 2019, Shukri has never been to a river. She could not swim.

On the 27th June, Shukri had been in school all day. Coroner states there is a discrepency between accounts of who invited Shukri.

Back at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning attempting to monitor a call over hearing in the case of @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. This is the last such hearing scheduled before the extradition decision will be given on 4 January.

Thread. 1/

The goal posts for access constantly shift at this court, in a completely arbitrary manner. We are currently being told by a court official that no journalists will be allowed in (told they can access the Cloud Video Platform) and only two people can access the public gallery. 2/

At times, even under Covid measures, four journalists have been allowed into the well of this same courtroom, and five people into the public gallery. Two in total today is completely arbitrary. We’re told the access restrictions are the judge’s decision. 3/

We’re hearing that two seats in court are being held for @AusHouseLondon, so we circle back to the same issue as the “VIP” seats held in the September proceedings at the Old Bailey, when these “VIP” diplomats never took their seats, but they were held back from the public. 4/

Again, the only way for professional NGO observers to access these hearings (and do our job) is in person, as the court will not give us remote access. This is not only a barrier to open justice, but the court is creating unnecessary Covid risks as London heads towards Tier 3. 5/

Bombay HC refers to SC judgment in Arnab Goswami case during the hearing of Varavara Rao's case.

"Now we have a judgment(Arnab case) wherein it has been clarified that HC can grant bail in writ. Earlier there was a grey area. Now the law has been made clear", Justice Shinde says

'Arnab's case was on different facts', submits ASG Anil Singh for NIA @NIA_India

"Earlier both of us were pondering whether under 226 bail can be granted, but the position has been clarified now", Justice Shinde replies.

#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

"Nanavati hospital report is deficient in a number of areas, they have been conspicuously silent on a number of issues"- Anand Grover submits for Varavara Rao.
#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

VV Rao has had ailments from the beginning, they do not have the infrastructure in jail in terms of medical facilities and he keeps getting unwell/sick since the conditions are such, that is why he cannot stay in jail - Grover

#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

Once he goes back to jail he will again get sick seeing the ailments he is suffering from, so we will be back to court again as he will get sick - Grover

#BombayHighCourt
#VaravaraRao

Hearing in MJ Akbar's criminal defamation case against Priya Ramani to begin before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra K Pandey.

After the transfer of Judge Vishal Pahuja, parties are making arguments afresh.

#MeToo #PriyaRamani #MJAkbar #Metooindia

@mjakbar

Hearing begins.

#MJAkbar #PriyaRamani

#MeToo

@mjakbar

Senior Advocate Rebecca John for Priya Ramani begins.

John sums up the submissions made by her in the previous hearings.

It is my truth, made in public interest and good faith: John

#PriyaRamani

Statement from the #JusticeForShukriAbdi Campaign

The Coroner released her verdict of accidental death brings to a close a painful chapter for the family, one which has been made even more painful due to the failure of all the institutions that were meant to protect Shukri.

17 months ago,this campaign was created in the wake of the tragic death of Shukri. Since then her mother Zamzam &her family have faced what can only be described as a never-ending nightmare as she demanded answers & the truth of her beloved daughter's last moments on this earth

This vulnerable refugee mother, whose daughter was taken from her in dubious  circumstances, was left in limbo with unanswered questions and her own trauma to deal with all the while trying to support her other children come to terms with what had happened to their older sister

Her family protected her the moment she stepped onto UK soil, but sadly those authorities who should have protected Shukri Abdi, categorically and without question, failed her.  The facts are now firmly out there for the world to see that this was not merely a 'tragic accident'.

This campaign was set up to protect & provide support for the family, & to fight alongside the legal team to ensure that the truth of Shukri's death was exposed, & to ensure that no family ever has to experience the obstacles this mother had to face to simply get to the truth

A thread of the known timeline of the #nashvilleexplosion. At 1:22am on Christmas this RV was first recorded by surveillance cameras on Second Avenue in downtown Nashville. It then parked on the west side of the street right next to the AT&T Data Center. @NC5 1/15

At around 5:30am downtown residents heard gunfire on Second Avenue and calls were made to police. A short time later came another round of gunfire. When police responded they found the RV playing a recorded warning that there was a bomb inside. 2/15

At least six brave @MNPDNashville officers went door to door in the immediate area getting the people who were home on Christmas morning to evacuate. @JohnCooper4Nash called the officers “heroes” and says, “there would have been life lost if it wasn’t for their courage.” 3/15

4/15: At 6:30am, with the recorded warning still playing, the RV exploded.

5/15: At least 41 businesses on and around Second Avenue were damaged, many extensively. One building collapsed. The explosion was reportedly heard from Murfreesboro to Lebanon and the fireball was captured in this picture from I-24.

1/ In September 1993, then-Microsoft exec Nathan Myhrvold wrote his landmark memo "Road Kill on the Information Highway", laying out a dozen-ish predictions on the rise of the internet

27 years later, I think it's a super interesting case study. Let's evaluate the predictions -

2/ PREDICTION #1: The rise of a surveillance society - police bodycams, CCTV, 24/7 personal recording, and deepfakes

GRADE: A-

Pretty close!

3/ PREDICTION #2: Telecommuting, an end to the "tyranny of geography" and gerrymandering

GRADE: B-

Alas, the electoral college still matters today. The WFH prediction hits closer, but turns out it took two and a half decades + a pandemic to get things going

4/ PREDICTION #3: Telco convergence - phone companies become cable providers and vice versa

GRADE: A-

Honestly this one was a bit of a layup, although it took 15 years longer than anyone expected

5/ PREDICTION #4: The rise of online neo-banks

GRADE: C

Three decades later, and physical banks still exist. Neobanks have a presence in emerging markets, UK, and basically nowhere else. Regulatory inertia: officially a thing

"The leaked email communication from an executive of #Stratfor says that, as Deputy National Security Advisor in 2010 to #Obama, #Brennan and the White House were determined to:

'go after anyone printing materials negative to the Obama agenda.'"
#NoCPTPP

"#Stratfor has been dubbed the 'Shadow

"In an email written by #Stratfor President #FredBurton to work colleagues, Burton wrote on November 21, 2010:

'#Brennan is behind the #witchhunts of investigative journalists learning information from inside the beltway

"[#JohnBrennan] Was to Be Subject of Exposé by Rolling Stone Reporter #MichaelHastings Before Hastings Mysteriously Killed in

"Speculation became rampant that the #CIA had something to do with [#MichaelHastings’]

Thread on the missing 100 Kgs gold from CBI

In an unusual order, perhaps for the first time in history, the Madras HC has ordered a state Crime Branch CID probe into 100 Kgs of gold which went missing from the custody of CBI. 1/n

State CB CID officials will now probe the role of the elite CBI agency in the missing ingots weighing more than 100 Kgs.

When the CBI probed this case, the role of several IAS & ITS (Indian Trade Service) came to light. The role of Dr. Swarna, IAS, then Joint Development Commissioner, Special Economic Zone, Chennai also came to light. 3/n

Dr. Swarna is now the Secretary to government, P&AR, Government of Tamil Nadu. When an Addl SP went to examine Dr. Swarna with regard to this case, she threw a tantrum as to how an ordinary Addl SP can examine her and rang up TN Home Secretary to suspend the Addl. SP. 4/n

All the All India Service Officers involved in this case, using their bureaucratic clout in Delhi, ensured that this case never saw the light of the day.
5/n

An academic mystery novel in which we learn that the culprit murdered the victim because they could not agree on which font to use for their very important committee memo.

The tension builds throughout the book as they exchange drafts of the memo, each time changing the font back to the "proper" font.

No one mentions the font changes, they just seethe.

Exasperated, one of them sets up a Qualtrics survey for the committee. It has only one question: "what is the correct font to use for this committee's correspondence?"

Qualtrics data is inconclusive.

Thread on the killing Iran's chief nuclear scientist.