By Chimezie Godfrey
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has secured the conviction of the Managing Director of Alliance Boots Limited, Mr. Henry Iloka, over the use of forged documents to secure a consultancy contract valued at over N182.7 million under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP.
Justice U.P. Kekemeke of Court 4, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, Abuja, delivered the judgment after finding the defendant guilty on four counts bordering on forgery and making false statements to investigators during the course of an ICPC investigation.
According to details made available by the Head of Media and Public Communications of the Commission, Mr. John Okor Odey, the defendant’s company had obtained a consultancy contract from the Federal Ministry of Environment for HYPREP Media and Public Relations services in Ogoniland valued at N182,721,000.
Odey disclosed that investigations by the anti-corruption agency revealed that Alliance Boots Limited attached forged documents to its bid submissions in a bid to falsely portray that the company had previously executed consultancy contracts for the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.
The ICPC spokesman explained that beyond the alleged forgery, the defendant was also prosecuted for making false statements to investigators during the investigation process.
“One of the counts revealed that Mr. Iloka knowingly made a false statement to an officer of the Commission on November 13, 2019, when he claimed that the pre-qualification documents contained in the Expression of Interest documents submitted by Alliance Boots Limited to the Federal Ministry of Environment were genuine, despite knowing that a purported Letter of Award of Contract for Consultancy Services on Media Intelligence Project allegedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria was false,” Odey stated.
He further disclosed that another charge established that the defendant forged a document titled “Letter of Award of Contract for Production and Transmission of NCC Weekly Telecom Today Programme, Lot A4/5,” dated August 28, 2013, purportedly issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
According to him, the forged NCC document was subsequently submitted to the Federal Ministry of Environment as part of the requirements for the award of HYPREP Media and Consultancy Services in Ogoniland.
The ICPC spokesman stated that following the prosecution’s presentation of witnesses and documentary evidence before the court, Justice Kekemeke found the defendant guilty on all four counts preferred against him.
He noted that the court convicted and sentenced Iloka to pay a fine of N100,000 each on counts one and two for making false statements contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Odey added that the court also imposed a fine of N500,000 each on counts three and four for forgery contrary to Section 363 of the Penal Code Act.
“The court ordered that the fines imposed on the defendant be paid cumulatively,” he said.
The ICPC spokesman stressed that the conviction underscores the Commission’s resolve to safeguard integrity in public procurement processes and ensure accountability in government contracting systems.
He warned contractors and consultants against the use of forged documents, fabricated credentials, and false representations in bids for government contracts, insisting that offenders would continue to face prosecution.
“The Commission reiterates its commitment to ensuring accountability and integrity in public procurement processes and warns contractors against the use of forged documents or false representations in bids for government contracts,” Odey stated.
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