The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has written to
Newspapers in Nigeria to explain how much they got from Chief Raymond
Dokpesi who told controversial Arms Deal Investigators he got N2.1Billion
for Media and Publicity which includes advertisement in Newspapers,
Pointblanknews.com gathered.
A top Newspaper Editor in Abuja told Pointblanknews.com that they received
the letter from the EFCC today and have already alerted their Account and
Advertisement department to prepare all the necessary response to the
anti-graft agency.
The EFCC letter was addressed to the Editor-In-Chief of major Newspapers
in Nigeria. It is not immediately known if Electronic Media organizations
also received similar letter.
It will be recalled that embattled AIT boss, Raymond Dokpesi has explained
why he received N2.1 Billion from Ex National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo
Dasuki.
Going through Dasuki’s books, Dopkesi’s name popped. He was listed to have
received the amount under no subhead, so the DSS and EFCC brought him to
explain.
Initially his attorney, Mike Ozekhome, denied his client did any business
with Dasuki, but after turning the screw, plus truck loads of evidence,
Dokpesi sang.
Curiously he said the huge cash payment was for media and publicity cost
incurred by the Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign. The question is why NSA and
not the PDP national secretariat.
According to the News magazine, Dokpesi, in statement released by his
company on Wednesday, explained he was invited by the chairman of the
EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, to “shed more light on some payments that were made to
him through the office of the erstwhile National Security Adviser to the
former President, Malam Sambo Dasuki”.
“Dokpesi explained to the EFCC officials that the N2.1 billion that he
collected from the former NSA was payment for publicity and media
political campaigns during the 2015 General Elections,” the paper quoted
the statement as saying.
Mr. Dokpesi “made his statement on the various media exposures and
campaign transactions which were dutifully carried out based essentially
on contractual obligations/relationship”, the statement added.
The statement was however silent on why Mr. Dokpesi received payment for a
political media campaign, which ordinarily should have been the
prerogative of the Peoples Democratic Party (Mr Jonathan’s party), from
the office of the NSA.
Following an interim report released by a presidential committee
investigating arms procurement in the last administration, which revealed
extra-judicial spending of up to N643.8 billion and a further $2.2
billion, the EFCC set up a special panel to probe how the monies were
spent.
Attempts by pointblanknews.com to reach the PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh
were unsuccessful.