Oduah and Soludo
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said that
it is still investigating a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and a
former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, said during a press conference in Abuja on Monday that the commission
was still investigating a case of bribery against Soludo.
Last year, President Goodluck Jonathan was forced to sack
Oduah after a public outcry against her alleged involvement in the purchase of
two BMW bulletproof cars for her use by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
A team of crack operatives from the Intelligence and Special
Operations Section of the commission led by one Chike had grilled Oduah for
five hours on February 2, 2014 in relation with the controversial procurement
of the two BMW cars for N255m.
Although, Oduah was granted a provisional bail after
allegedly making “useful statements,” the EFCC insisted that the case against
her was not closed as the matter was still being investigated.
Uwujaren said on Monday that investigation into the
bulletproof car scandal had got to an advanced stage and could be concluded in
a few months.
He restated also that several top officials of the major
parastatals of the Ministry of Aviation had been interrogated by the EFCC in
relation with the scandal.
He said, “Her matter is not closed. She has been invited,
officials of major parastatals in that ministry have also been invited to make
statement.
“The investigation has reached an advanced stage. In a few
weeks or months you will get to hear details of our findings.”
However, the EFCC spokesman added that the fact that a
person was invited for questioning did not necessarily mean that the person
must face trial.
He stressed further that a suspect could only be adjudged
guilty by a competent court of law and not the commission.
On Soludo, the EFCC spokesman said that the case against him
which had to do with alleged bribery and corruption was still open contrary to
speculations by a section of the media that it was closed.
Uwujaren stated also that the commission would charge a
former Managing Director of the Nigerian Security, Minting and Printing
Company, Mr. Ehidiamhen Okoyomon, for alleged corruption.
Uwujaren, who also spoke on the multi-billion Naira fuel
subsidy scam, said that the commission had recovered N4.3bn from 17 marketers
who collected subsidy funds from the Federal Government without supplying the
product for which payments were made to them.
He said that those involved in the theft were already facing
prosecution.
He said, “Seventeen oil marketers are currently undergoing
trial and over 40 of their companies are added.
“They are undergoing trial for obtaining subsidy from the
Federal Government without supplying products. We believe they will be sent to
court soon.
“The exact figure recovered from oil subsidy theft is N4.3bn
just as stated by the EFCC’s Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde.”
The EFCC spokesman, who also commented on the case of
alleged corruption involving the governorship candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, said that it was the Independent
National electoral Commission that could take a decision on the issue.
Uwujaren said that it was not the responsibility of the EFCC
to determine whether somebody standing trial in court was eligible to contest
election or not.
He said that Fayose had been standing trial for alleged
corruption since 2007, adding that the matter was transferred to Ekiti State
where the offence was believed to be committed following a decision of the
Appeal Court on the issue to transfer it to Ekiti.
“I think the proper place to direct that question to is the
INEC which is the umpire presiding over election, it is not the EFCC. Our job
is not to preside over electoral matters.
“If the umpire believes that the electoral law allows such a
person standing trial in court, even though he has not been convicted to stand
for election; that is the job of the INEC, it is not for the EFCC to decide.”
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