ABUJA, Nigeria — Akintoye Akindele, founder of Platform Capital, was charged by the Nigerian police on Friday, August 18, 2023, for allegedly attempting to bribe a team investigating allegations against him.
The charge comes after Akindele has spent three weeks in police custody.
The 49-year-old Lagos businessman has been accused of offering a bribe amounting to N150 million to the investigative team looking into claims by Summit Oil International Limited.
The allegations involve criminal conspiracy, theft, and the diversion of millions of US dollars and Naira.
Court records revealed that Akindele allegedly made an initial payment of N50 million, a third of the said bribe, to aid his escape from custody with plans to flee abroad.
This payment was traced to an account named ‘Duport Midstream Company Limited’.
Sources close to the matter have disclosed that other company directors and shareholders were unaware of this account’s existence.
Earlier this week, in a separate legal move, Akindele took legal action against the inspector-general of police, the Nigeria Police Force, Summit Oil International Limited, Dr. Zulikat Wuraola Abiola, Duport Energy Limited, and Mr. Oluwatosin Odusanya.
His claim in a Federal High Court in Lagos was based on allegations of unlawful detention beyond constitutionally provided limits.
The recent bribery accusations may support the police’s decision to continue Akindele’s detention while investigations proceed. He is scheduled for arraignment on these charges next week in Abuja.
Furthermore, Akindele is under scrutiny from a different angle.
Concerned shareholders of Duport Midstream Company Limited have filed a petition against him over the alleged mismanagement of millions of dollars of company assets.
Insiders from the company have mentioned that while Akindele, who temporarily holds the position of Managing Director at Duport Midstream, acknowledged receiving these funds, he has reportedly failed to provide an account for them.
Additionally, there have been reports of Akindele’s resistance to a forensic audit into discrepancies within the company’s financial records, which was initiated by the board.
The developments surrounding Akindele and his various financial entanglements suggest a convoluted web of corporate intrigue that is yet to be fully unraveled.
The coming weeks will undoubtedly shed more light on these allegations and the repercussions for all parties involved.
