Medview Airline has denied diverting Hajj funds and scamming people, saying the money was utilised for necessary preparations, including aircraft maintenance and payment to service providers.
It would be recalled that on Monday, January 31, 2022, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had invited Muneer Bankole, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the airline on allegations bothering on fraud and fund diversion.
Having been accused of receiving funds from the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), and an additional $900,000, for the airlift of pilgrims in 2019 but failed to use execute the contract, Bankole was detained by the anti-graft agency. Although, he was later released.
In a statement signed by the Director of Business Development, Isiaq Na-Allah, Medview revealed that even though some powerful people frustrated it by not releasing the contract funds on time, it successfully airlifted 4,387 pilgrims from Kaduna, Yobe, and Ogun States.
Pointing to the much touted $900,000, Medview revealed that NAHCON paid the money directly to two service providers in Saudi Arabia namely General Authority of Aviation ($400,000 and Taibah Airports Development Company ($500,000) on July 5, 2019.
“The Pilgrims Boards in those states are living witnesses of the operation.
“In line with the terms of the contract with NAHCON, a Presidential committee was raised to reconcile the differences in payment to the airline and the number of pilgrims airlifted, and this later metaphosed into a Ministerial Committee, where all issues were resolved.
“Therefore, it is strange for somebody to wake up and go to the rooftop, armed with trumpets and cymbal for a non-existent scam or diversion of funds all to smear Medview Airline Plc,” the statement read.
