After FIJ’s Story, EFCC Admits Wrongly Declaring Lebanese National Elie Bitar Wanted Over CBEX Fraud


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has removed the name of Elie Bitar, a Lebanese businessman it wrongly declared wanted in connection with an organised cryptocurrency fraud perpetrated by Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).

FIJ had exclusively reported on May 6 that Bitar had no connection with the CBEX scam.

Bitar was rather the owner of CBEX Solutions Limited, a defunct Lagos-based company, which operated legitimately in Nigeria between 2018 and 2020.

In the report, FIJ showed that the ‘CBEX’ in Bitar’s company name was an acronym of his name and that of Xavier Carbonel, his business partner.

Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the agency, did not respond when FIJ asked about the EFCC’s decision to declare Bitar wanted.

In an authorless statement posted on its social media handles on Wednesday, the EFCC stated that it had removed Bitar’s name from its list having discovered that he was unrelated to the scheme. The commission conspicuously failed to apologise to Bitar or Nigerians for the error.

“Ellie Bitar of CBEX Solutions Ltd., who was earlier declared wanted, has since been removed from the list owing to new information that does not support his inclusion in the wanted person’s list,” the agency wrote in part.

CBEX: EFCC Intensifies Search for WANTED PERSONS

As part of its ongoing investigations of the alleged monumental fraud involving many actors in the infamous Crypto Bridge Exchange, CBEX, fraud, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is gaining important ground…

“As part of its ongoing investigations of the alleged monumental fraud involving many actors in the infamous Crypto Bridge Exchange, CBEX, fraud, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is gaining important ground in its search for eight wanted persons implicated in the fraud,” the statement read.

“The eight wanted persons are: Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Johnson Okiroh Ofienolu, Israel Mbalika, Joseph Michiro Kabera and Serah Michiro.

“The Commission is making good progress in its investigations. Law enforcement agencies across the world are collaborating with it in tracking and arresting all the wanted persons. The EFCC will not relent in bringing every actor involved in the fraudulent dealings to book.”

Bitar’s company consulted for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies with evidence of value added tax remittances, certificate of incorporation and verifiable bank statements.

Aside from the defunct company, Bitar owns Smarterise Integrated Solutions Limited, an energy solutions company currently in operation.

His lawyers had written to the commission maintaining his innocence and demanding a public apology and removal of his name from the list of wanted persons.