Firm Petitions IGP, INTERPOL Over Alleged $25M Transformer Deal Fraud

LAWLEAD Consult, a law firm, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to investigate an Indian firm, Transformers and Rectifiers (India) Limited, over alleged cases of Criminal Breach of Trust and Forgery in a $25 million transformer deal.

The case has attracted the attention of INTERPOL and the Attorney General of the Federation, with the Indian suspects facing potential extradition to Nigeria.

The deal in question involved Transformers and Rectifiers (India) Limited securing a $25 million contract to supply transformers to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), a World Bank-funded project.

However, the company allegedly failed to pay the agreed commission of about 10 per cent to their Nigerian counterpart, P-NEC Nigeria Ltd, leading to a corporate and legal battle since 2020.

Despite multiple letters of invitation from INTERPOL and the Nigerian Police Force, the Indian suspects, Jitendra Mamtora and Satyen Mamtora, have not honored the invitations and have instead sent Indian lawyers to observe proceedings filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The situation escalated when INTERPOL placed a red notice on the suspects, leading to the arrest of Jitendra Mamtora in Italy.

He has since returned to India, and INTERPOL Nigeria has initiated the extradition process through diplomatic channels.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has already signed the extradition requests, which are currently in India.

One of the key allegations against the Indian suspects is the forgery of a court affidavit in Nigeria, which has prompted the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the matter further.

As a result of these legal proceedings, the payment of the 10 per cent contract sum has been stalled, pending the full determination of the issues at hand.

In response to the ongoing legal battle, the Indian suspects have filed a fundamental rights suit in the Federal High Court 10, Abuja, claiming that their rights to personal liberty and freedom have been infringed upon.

The case is set to be heard on April 15, 2024, where the two Indian suspects have personally filed an application to strike out the charges against them.

As the legal battle continues to unfold, both Nigeria and India are closely monitoring the situation, with INTERPOL and the office of the attorney general of the federation playing key roles in the potential extradition of the Indian suspects.

The outcome of this case is expected to have significant implications for international business dealings and legal cooperation between Nigeria and India.