Anti-Graft War: Sagay Charges EFCC to Be Resolute
Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, not to relent in carrying out its mandate of ridding the country of economic and financial crimes.
Sagay, who led some members of the committee to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, on April 7, 2016 also stressed the pivotal role the anti-graft agency has to play in winning the war against corruption.
“The common interest of Nigerians is at stake, because corruption affects everyone, and we have the same objective, therefore you can rely on us to give you support in all ramifications,” he said.
While commending the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu, for rejuvenating the activities of the anti-graft agency, Sagay noted that there was still much more to be done.
“The energy you have brought in to the activities of the EFCC since your assumption of office has encouraged us, and we want you to continue to do more,” he said.
Re-echoing the views of Sagay, the committee’s secretary, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, stressed the importance of securing convictions in cases involving high profile individuals.
“We commend you for your efforts, but there is need to further enhance the good work you are doing by securing convictions in high profile cases,” he said.
Reassuring the committee of the Commission’s resolve not to relent in its efforts, Magu, used the opportunity to intimate the committee of some of the reforms he has initiated.
“We are restructuring the operations aspect of the Commission and weeding out the bad eggs,” he said. “We are also carrying the anti-corruption crusade to the grassroots.”
He added that the efforts of the agency were yielding results, noting that the EFCC was determined to get to the root of major corruption cases in the country, including the Halliburton case.
“We are getting back the confidence we have been lacking,” he said.
He further told the committee that the Commission was facing a major problem with regards to accommodation, and there was a need to have an Academy equipped to international standards.
Other members of the committee at the meeting include Prof. Sadiq Isa Radda, Prof. E. Alemika, Prof. Femi Odekunle, Ona Peters, Ola Olukayode, and Olusegun Odesina.
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How Ex-PDP Chair, Haliru, Son Got N300m - Witness
Stella George, a witness, in the ongoing trial of Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, today told Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja that, there was an inflow N300million (three hundred million naira) from the Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA, to the account of BAM Projects and Properties Limited, owned by the accused.
George, a banker with Sterling Bank, while being led in evidence today by counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, stated that, on March 18, 2015 a sum of N137, 200,000 ( one hundred and thirty seven million, two hundred thousand naira) was transferred to Kumu Golo Limited and another transfer of N178,800,000 (one hundred and seventy eight million, eight hundred thousand naira) was made to North Polo Global Services same day.
According to her, the Certified True Copies (CTC) of account opening package, mandate card and statement of account from January 2015 to date of BAM Projects and Property Limited, as well as copies of instruments used for inflow and outflow from the account were all made available to EFCC on request.
Under cross examination by the defence counsel, Solomon Umoh, SAN, George said that, although she was obliged to know her customers especially the account owner but, she did not know anything about the companies who received the money under reference.
The former PDP chief is being prosecuted alongside his son, Bello Abba Mohammed, on a 4-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
It would be recalled that, the first prosecution witness (PW1) Rouqayya Ibrahim, an operative of the Commission, had in his evidence on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 stated that a payment of N300m was made in two tranches to the accused company’s account of BAM Projects and Properties Limited from the funds meant for the procurement of arms through the office of the former National Security Adviser, NSA.
The case has been adjourned to May 18, 2016 for continuation of trial.
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