By OLA MODUPE, Lagos –
The Management described the legal action instituted by a former Managing Director of the company, Dapo Apara, as an extension of his campaign of calumny launched to avoid the consequences of his fraudulent conduct over the years.
Reacting to the allegations circulating on social media as well as the online reports of the court summons of which it was yet unaware of, Alpha Beta also alleged that the court action by Dapo Apara was the continuation of the former MD’s “blackmail tactics and an attempt to distract from the huge funds he misappropriated from Alpha Beta while he was in charge of its affairs.”
In the statement issued on Friday, titled “ALPHA BETA: FACTS OF THE MATTER” and signed by its Managing Director, Mr. Akin Doherty, the company noted that the uncorroborated allegations against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by Dapo Apara, in particular, showed that he was bent only on creating sensational headlines to deflect attention from his on criminal activities.
According to the statement, “the fact is that Dapo Apara began making his untrue allegations in the aftermath of his removal as Managing Director of Alpha Beta for fraud and unethical practices.”
It noted that while he was MD, Apara used his position to siphon huge sums of money from the company including but not limited to money allegedly used to pay for cloud based services.
The statement noted that Mr. Apara, who was a signatory to all the bank accounts of Alpha Beta from inception until his removal, received all his payments and entitlements until June 2018 when he was removed after his fraudulent misconduct was discovered.
It noted that in July 2018, further evidence of his fraudulent and unethical practices was uncovered, and Mr. Apara was subsequently invited to return to Nigeria from his hiding place in Dubai to render account.
“To date, he has refused to do so. Instead, Mr. Apara chose to embark on an aggressive smear campaign seemingly in an effort to blackmail us into ending the investigations into his misconduct,” the statement added.
Responding specifically to the court summons now circulating on social media, Alpha stated that contrary to the sensational headlines, designed to embarrass and blackmail, “the case presented by Mr. Apara does not disclose even a single piece of evidence of fraud or criminal activity on the part of any of the alleged defendants. The case brought by Mr. Apara is, simply put, an extension of his campaign of calumny; launched to avoid the consequences of his fraudulent conduct over the years.”
“This court action by Dapo Apara is the continuation of Mr. Apara’s blackmail tactics and an attempt to distract from the huge funds he misappropriated from Alpha Beta while he was in charge of its affairs,” it added.
According to Alpha Beta, “since 2018, he has filed many suits in Lagos and Abuja on the same matter, engaged in Arbitration, the Police, EFCC and ICPC. However, in all that time, he has steadfastly refused to honour all invitations by the authorities to return to Nigeria and account for the huge funds he misappropriated.
“The uncorroborated allegations against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by Dapo Apara, in particular, show that he is bent only on creating sensational headlines to deflect attention from his on criminal activities.
“Although, we have not been served with the court summons, we look forward to the opportunity the case provides to publicly present the full picture of Mr. Apara’s misconduct, deceit and fraud and to have the matter resolved by the court once and for all.”