BMW Scandal: Coscharis gave N112m kickback to aviation minister

According to new reports by Sahara Reporters, the car company that sold the two
BMW armored cars to NCAA, gave N112million to aviation minister Stella Oduah as
kickbacks. (Kickback is a form of negotiated bribery in which a commission is paid
to the bribe-taker for services rendered)
From Sahara Reporters
Even as the minister of aviation began a new spin today that the BMW
armored cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for
her use were done on "hire-purchase", SaharaReporters has unearthed new
details about the $1.6 million spent by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to
purchase the armored BMW cars for Nigeria's Aviation Minister Stella Oduah.
A highly reliable source has told SaharaReporters that the shady deal for the
car was done entirely between Coscharis Motors Limited, a dealership from
which the cars were purchased, one of Ms. Oduah’s private firms based in
Abuja, and First Bank of Nigeria.
“The NCAA was not even aware of the deal until the minister told them to
sign that they had received two BMW cars,” said our source.
After inking the deal, Coscharis Motors, sellers of the highly inflated
automobiles, reportedly gave the Aviation Minister more than N112 million as
kickbacks. Our source added that Cosmas Maduka, who owns Coscharis
Motors, pocked N60 million for each of the two BMW cars.
An official at the NCAA corroborated the information that the agency was largely
kept in the dark about the transaction. “We were never privy to the transaction and
had not seen the cars even though our head of transport was made to sign the
delivery note,” said the source. The agency is under the Ministry of Aviation.
The source added that the agency has still not seen the cars even after the
scandal escalated.
SaharaReporters was first to break the news that Ms. Oduah compelled a cash-
strapped NCAA to pay for two extravagantly priced bullet-proof BMWs for her
personal use. After initially denying our reports, the minister’s spokesman, Joe Obi,
admitted that the transaction transpired. Mr. Obi alleged that the purchase was
justified because of unspecified threats to the minister’s life. Neither Mr. Obi nor
the minister has provided proof of any threats to Ms. Oduah. The minister has not
addressed why the NCAA paid a price tag that auto dealers in the US and the UK
described as a rip-off. US dealers said that each of the BMW cars should cost no
more than $$167,000.
Last week, an official of the NCAA, Fola Akinkuotu, spoke to the media and
defended the purchase of the cars. Mr. Akinkuotu said the cars were for the
ministry’s protocol pool for use in transporting foreign aviation dignitaries when
they visit Nigeria. His explanation conflicted with the original statement by the
minister’s spokesman, Mr. Obi. A source at the NCAA disclosed that Mr. Akinkuotu
felt tricked into facing the media on the scandal. “He had been told he would only
appear beside the embattled minister, who was supposed to speak. Instead, he
was asked to speak,” said the source.
Meanwhile, a source at the Presidency said President Goodluck Jonathan was
unfazed about the fraud perpetrated by Ms. Stella Oduah, his Aviation Minister.
Ms. Oduah and the late former National Security Advisor, General Owoye Azazi,
had played significant roles in raising and disbursing money to rig the 2011
presidential elections for Mr. Jonathan. Mr. Jonathan will depart Abuja tomorrow
on a weeklong pilgrimage to Israel.
However, SaharaReporters learnt that several ministers and diplomats have
registered their displeasure at Mr. Jonathan’s continued retention of Ms. Oduah on
his cabinet.