Why Macmillan Publishers Failed To Pay $833 Million To Malaysian Firm, EFCC Witness Tells Court

Ahmed Suleiman, an investigative officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, told Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos why Macmillan Publishers failed to pay $833 million due to BHS Books in Malaysia. 

Suleiman, who is the first witness presented by the Commission in an ongoing court case involving Macmillan Publishers,   narrated how the company based in Malaysia had petitioned the EFCC through its lawyers in Nigeria.

Advertisement

He informed the court that sometime in 2018, the EFCC received a petition from BHS Book Printing SDN BHD of Selangor Malaysia, through the High Refuge Attorney based in Nigeria.

In the petition, it’s alleged that Macmillan Nigeria Publishers reneged on its promise to pay the sum of $833,561.71 being money for books it supplied from Malaysia for the use of Nigerian students.

He said: “The said books were supplied to Macmillan Publishers in four weigh bills.

“The first was with invoice number 1270 dated 1-4-2018; the second was with invoice number 1278 dated 24-5-2018; the third with invoice number 127-1 was dated 24-5-2018, while the fourth with invoice number 1278-2 was dated 6-8-2018.

Advertisement

“The value for all the invoices of the books supplied was $833,561.71.”

He further told the court that investigation into the allegation revealed that the said consignments were duly received and were cleared by the Nigeria Customs Service through the Tincan Island, Lagos.

He added that: “Macmillan Publishers also acknowledged receiving the books with an agreement that after delivery within 90 days, payment would be made to BHS foreign company based in Malaysia through their correspondent bank, Zenith Bank here in Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, Macmillan Publishers who are suppliers of books to the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, and to other private individuals, supplied the said books to UBEC through their state counterparts and payments were made by UBEC to Macmillan through its account in Zenith Bank, with the understanding that Zenith Bank will remit the said funds to the BHS correspondent bank in Malaysia,” he said.

He added that the bank did not remit the money as expected because Macmillan was indebted to it, and so used the money to off-set the debt.

Advertisement

He also said: “All efforts by Macmillan to pay back proved abortive. No kobo was left. And afterwards, Macmillan was suspended from supplying books to UBEC.”

He testified further that in the course of the investigation, letters were written to the Nigeria Customs Service, the Attorney of the foreign publishers, the Corporate Affairs Commission, the UBEC and the bank.

Suleiman also identified the responses received, including the statements made by Fasasi, as Macmillan’s Executive Director, Finance, and statements made by Prof. Adelekan, as Managing Director of Macmillan.

The documents were tendered in evidence by the prosecution and admitted in evidence as exhibits P1 to P6, as there was no objection raised by the defence.

The case has been adjourned till November 24, 2022 for continuation of trial.

Leave a comment

Advertisement