…Shuns Senate Probe, Sent Reps
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), were on
Wednesday sent out of the public hearing session of the Senate Committee
on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition on N1trillion scam leveled
against their Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde.
This was even as the image of the agency they represented, was badly
damaged by the petitioner with his submissions before the committee, one
of which was the allegation that Lamorde gave some of the choice
properties seized from former Bayelsa State Governor, DSP Alamieyesigha
and others, to Usman Lamorde, his younger brother.
The EFCC officials led by Chile Okoroma , the head of Legal Services
walked themselves into trouble at the hearing by seeking for permission to
make contribution despite earlier request made by the commission for
extension of date of appearance before the committee.
After hearing the submissions of the petitioner against the EFCC boss,
Okoroma sought for permission to make some comments upon which his
identity and that of his other colleagues were demanded for by the
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu ( PDP Imo East).
Their disclosure of being officials of the EFCC did not go down well with
the chairman and other members of the committee , based on the fact that
as a body , EFCC had earlier forwarded an official letter to the committee
Tuesday morning for extension of date of appearance of its Chairman,
Lamorde before the committee in respect of the petition.
But Okoroma went ahead to make his comment without permission by
describing the method being adopted by the committee to conduct the public
hearing as unjust and contrary to the law, saying ” it is very wrong for a
petitioner to be heard publicly in the absence of the person the petition
is against”.
An outburst that made a member of the committee, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (
APC Kwara South) to request for walking out of the EFCC officials from the
session, since they were not even expected to be in attendance , let
alone, administered oath, for the purposes of commenting at the session.
He said: Mr Chairman, in line with our tradition and relevant rules
governing this type of session, since Okoroma and the other EFCC officials
here , are not known to have been here in the first place, but decided to
be here and even went ahead to start commenting without being administered
oath for that purpose, I move that the Chairman walk them out of the
session”
A motion the committee chairman spontaneously acted upon by asking the the
three EFCC officials and other lawyers who accompanied them to immediately
leave the venue of the hearing session.
But Okoroma even after been walked out of the session , still insisted
that the method being adopted by the committee in hearing the petitioner,
was illegal and unjustifiable.
He said: “This committee is a committee of the Senate, known as one of the
lawmaking institutions in the country but what we are seeing today, is law
breaking because it is wrong for a petitioner to be heard in the public in
the absence of the person, the entire petition is against”
Meanwhile, at the hearing session, the petitioner, George Uboh made series
of submissions backed with facts and figures , indicating that the anti
graft body, must have defrauded the country to the tune of N2.051trillion
from seized properties and funds of individuals under investigation by the
commission.
According to him, on Naira recoveries alone, ‘In a December 02, 2011
letter EFCC sent to the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and
Financial Crimes, EFCC stated that the aggregate recoveries from 2004 to
2011 (8 financial years) was N1,326,754,554,482:80. EFCC did not mention
where the N1.3 Trillion recovered was remitted to. EFCC’s claim that it
did not recover up to a Trillion is complete false.
He gave the breakdown as follows –
2004—N7,070,693,130:00
2005—N965,651,737,039:00
2006—N6,622,261,783:79
2007—N7,700,150,381:20
2008—N18,141,628,546:98
2009—N130,885,187,726:83
2010—N52,877,464,867:00
2011—N137,805,431,008:08
He disclosed further that “In EFCC’s “SUMMARY OF EFCC MONETARY RECOVERIES
2003-MARCH, 2013” (11 financial years), EFCC stated that the aggregate
recoveries for eleven financial years is N497,385,427,485:63; EFCC did not
mention where the N497.3 Billion recovered was remitted to, going by the
following breakdown-
2003—N974,783,213:06
2004—N21,018,557,263:28
2005—N71,053,996,008:60
2006—N8,199,908,189:03
2007—N41,479,032,319:70
2008—N44,542,822,622:30
2009—N255,306,693,033:55
2010—N10,559,513,355:91
2011—N11,117,460,717:88
2012—N27,844,769,688:19
2013—N5,287,891,074:13
Uboh who stated that the documents submitted were prepared under the
chairmanship of Lamorde , went further to disclose that total recoveries
to be remitted as confirmed by EFCC are 1.995 Trillion + 48.9 Billion +
7.3 Billion + .4 Billion =N 2.051 Trillion, asking “AFTER RECOVERING OVER
2 TRILLION HOW DID THE FUNDS MELT AWAY?
He went further by alleging that in defrauding the Nation of seized funds
from corrupt Nigerians under investigation, EFCC under Lamorde also
indulges in doctoring of Bank Accounts and diversion of already seized
loots.
He said: Two access bank recovery account statements tendered herein show
Opening balances of -0- as of 1, July 2004, but no transaction occurred
until June/July 2008 respectively. These transactions are expunged Where
are the funds deposited between July 2004 and June/July, 2008?
“EFCC diverted and concealed N779 Million Naira of recoveries from Tafa
Balogun in its record (aggregate should be 3,037,255,521.60 – not
2,258,100,516.98); Instead of transferring 3.3 billion from Spring bank to
its Access bank recovery account, EFCC transferred only 2.2 billion and
concealed it by understating the summation of the balances in the various
accounts hence the access bank statement had 2.2 Billion Naira after the
concealment”
He consequently concluded by urging the committee to urge the Federal
Government to compel EFCC to remit 2.051 Trillion to the Federal
Government of Nigeria.
He added: “Access bank should be compelled to bring complete and
unadulterated statements from 2004 till date.
“Aminu Ibrahim and co, Auditors, should be compelled to come and shed
light on discrepancies in its records and that of the already traced EFCC
accounts.
After his submissions, the Committee Chairman, Sam Anyanwu, said the
allegations are very weighty and the committee will look into them very
seriously but added that , they are on a facts -finding mission and not
out to run down anybody or agency.