Alleged Fraud: KAROTA staff drags MD to ICPC
Story from Shafa’atu Dauda, Kano
Some staff of Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) have dragged the managing director of the agency, Baffa Baba Dan’agundi before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over alleged fraud.
The petition written on the letterhead of the agency was titled ‘Complaint Letter Against the Managing Director Of Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), For Corrupt Activities.’
The petitioners said since the assumption of office of the managing director, in 2019, Baffa Baba Dan’agundi has been issuing fake receipts at the zonal offices and headquarters of the agency.
“The managing director authorized the issuance of fake receipt at all the zonal offices and the headquarters except the mobile court in which case the revenue staff of the Kano Internal Revenue Service (KIRS), are collecting fines,” the petitioners alleged.
According to the petition, the managing director is carrying out the act through a man named Shehu who happens to be his brother and not a staff of the Kano State Government.
“The said Shehu gives the receipts to any staff, they will give him the money collected and he would give a percentage to the collector.”
The petition listed the locations where the fake receipts are issued:
Hadejia Road zone, Masallacin Idi zone, Tower zone along state road, Goron Dutse by WRECA.
Similarly, the petition listed five different units at the headquarters of the agency where fake receipts are also issued to include: Morning Duty, Afternoon Duty, Night Duty, Towing Unit, Street trading unit.
According to the petition, the other area office of the agency where fake receipts are issued is the office on club road called Animal House, with units such as Street trading (France road), Street trading (Sabon gari), Tarani market.
The petitioners alleged further that the KAROTA mobile court and the Kano State Revenue staff have all been suspended from these offices as those in the said offices were provided with fake receipts issued by the alleged MD’s brother, Shehu.
However, they excused the Director Revenue and Accountant of the agency from the alleged fraud. Subsequently, the staff attached copies of the alleged fake receipts with the petition.
When contacted KAROTA managing director, Baffa Baba Dan’agundi on the petition, he said he was not interested in commenting on the petition he described as frivolous.
“How can a faceless group write a petition against me with the letterhead of the agency and they did not write their names?” the MD queried.
“This is not the first time they are writing such petition as they have at a point written to the State Assembly, the EFCC and others without substantiating their allegation, am not afraid of the probe as I know that I am clean.”
However, a very reliable source at the ICPC office confirmed that an investigation on the petition is ongoing.
“Yes it is true that some staff of KAROTA petitioned their managing director to us and as I speak with you the petition has been forwarded to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja for further instructions,” said the source.
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