Friday 20 May 2016

We’re not pressurising Jonathan’s cousin — EFCC

Lagos — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has faulted claims of the detained cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Azibaola Robert that he was being pressurised by the agency to implicate the former president in the alleged diversion of $40 million. EFCC, in a counter affidavit opposed to the suit by Robert before the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking for an order to release him from the custody of the commission, denied any plot to implicate Jonathan in the fraud his cousin was being investigate for.

 Robert is being investigated over an alleged diversion of $40 million through One-Plus Holdings and Kakatar Construction Limited. Robert, who was arrested on March 23, 2016, but granted bail on April 7, 2016 by a Federal High Court, Abuja is being held by the commission, which had refused to charge him to court or release him as directed by the court. Following the bail granted him by the high court, EFCC came to Lagos, where it obtained a magistrate court order to still detain him. Meanwhile, in the 37-paragraph counter-affidavit, the agency averred that the ex-president’s cousin was not only being investigate over alleged diversion of $40m but also on the theft of N2.5 billion from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. It further averred that zonal offices of the agency were saddled with the responsibility of investigating any case or cases reported to them and that Robert was alleged to have received the sum of $40m from former National Security Adviser to the president, Col. Sambo Dansuki (retd) and diverted same to his personal use and to the use of others.

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