An American businessman, Donald Latella, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to open an investigation into a Nigerian businessman, Ndada Iniodu Bassey and his company, Inigen Global Resources Limited over alleged $3,500 fraud.
Latella made the call in an email to The Herald, two years after filing a complaint with the anti-graft agency without making any headway in the recovery of the funds.
In a complaint letter dated December 1, 2021, and addressed to the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, Latella narrated how his company, North Park Commodities LLC, signed a contract with Ndada’s Inigen Global Resources (RC 939697).
“This contract was signed and dated in full agreement of liability and penalty of non-performance on 11-16-2020. On 11-16-2020 a direct request via attached exhibits will disclose that Ndada, Iniodu Bassey a Nigerian citizen residing in Nigeria requested in the amount of US $3,500 US Dollars in “advance” to obtain an authority to sell and collect and a set of cargo documents all in the name of North Park Commodities, LLC. It has now been twelve months and the Defendant refuses to return our funds,” the complaint letter read in part.
The letter said that a wire transfer in the amount of $3,550 was sent to Ndada’s company account with details – Account Name: Inigen Global Resources Ltd; Bank Name: Access Bank Plc; Swift Code: ABNGNGLA; Account Number: 36115264 (USD).
This newspaper sighted an electronic copy of a commercial invoice allegedly raised by Inigen Global Resources Ltd dated 11-16-2020 to request $3,500 from North Park Commodities for the documents, and a receipt of wire transfer of $3,500 (with $50 wire fee) from North Park’s account with JP Morgan Chase bank in the United States to Inigen Global Resources’ account.
This newspaper also sighted an electronic copy of a letter dated October 26, 2021, and addressed to Ndada, in which Latella demanded a refund as a “final offer”, nearly a year after the funds were initially wired.
In the letter, the North Park Commodities CEO pointed out to his Inigen Global Resources counterpart that failure to keep to their agreement and return the funds was in violation of Section 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
He reminded Ndada that he had made “promise after promise” to return the funds and was even offered a payment plan.
“Currently, we request our funds back in full. You have 24 hours to wire these funds back or you will be processed for criminal charges with the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies,” the letter read in part.
“Our contract and letter directly from you drop all defences in this criminal act and that we are entitled to damages after a year of non-performance,” the letter read.
In the letter, the North Park Commodities CEO provided a JP Morgan Chase Bank account and a Bitcoin account for the Inigen Global Resources boss to deposit the funds.
It was gathered that two months after Ndada spurned the offer, the American businessman wrote the EFCC to file a complaint.
In an email to the EFCC dated January 31, 2023, and sighted by this newspaper, Latella said, “I have done everything requested of me for over a year and have had no results.
“This person collected advance funds, delivered fake documents and confirmed in writing if I did not get product, he would pay back my $3,500 US Dollars.
“He has every excuse in the world for how he did this and he did that. He even had my clients that flew from Turkey lodged for over 2 weeks and had a Super Cargo board a Vessel that had fuel that did not even belong to him.
“It did not help that the Super cargo disappeared but besides that why it is that over a year has gone by and I still do not have my money back.”
Latella said, “When will the EFCC commence investigation?”