Posted by By BEN OKEZIE on
Just when it seemed that former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, could heave a sigh of relief following his clearance by the police panel that investigated the N21 million scam at Force Headquarters, a fresh scandal of bigger magnitude has blown open
•As police investigates missing N157million •Witness dies mysteriously
Just when it seemed that former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, could heave a sigh of relief following his clearance by the police panel that investigated the N21 million scam at Force Headquarters, a fresh scandal of bigger magnitude has blown open.
In this case, Ehindero is being linked with an alleged 'criminal removal" of a whopping N157million from the police vault in the Lagos budget office, three days to his disengagement from service.
This is just as the mysterious death of Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Agbebaku, personnel of the Police Budget Department in the Lagos office annex, is raising eyebrows, as one of the suspects, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jellili Ogundeyi said the death should be investigated.
Already, Sunday Sun gathered that the preliminary report of an administrative panel recommends that the former Inspector General be made to answer some questions.
Accordingly, the panel, comprising detectives drawn from the Anti-Fraud Section of the FCID, has reportedly recommended that a charge of 'corrupt practices, criminal conspiracy, theft, stealing, misappropriation and criminal breach of trust" be brought against all those connected with the movement of the money.
Others accused along with Ehindero are CP John Obaniyi, ACP Jellili Ogundeyi, DSP Olu Monday, Inspector Joseph Okonmah and Inspr Agboyinu Agemo. Others are Sgt Kenneth Okolo, Spy Cpl Chetuya Clelestine and PC Elisha Augustine.
It would be interesting to note that Obaniyi, who was the Commission of Police, Budget was also at the centre of the N21 million scam at the Force Headquarters.
Though Ehindero was linked with the scam, he was, however, absolved of any involvement in the police final report forwarded to President Umar Yar'Adua last week.
Obaniyi on the other hand was indicted for negligence, breach of trust, conduct prejudicial to discipline and discreditable conduct.
In arriving at the decision to press charges against those involved in the missing N157 million, the panel, Sunday Sun further learnt, noted that 'It is imperative that the former CP Budget, Mr. John Obaniyi and the former IGP, Mr. Sunday Gabriel Ehindero, during whose tenure these incidents occurred be invited to explain the circumstances behind these cash withdrawals and/or movements; where the money was moved to, and the timing of the removal, given the fact that there are spelt-out procedures for moving public funds of that magnitude. Moreso as Obaniyi had posited earlier that all cash withdrawals and movements were approved by the Ehindero. It would appear that there was a deliberate act to embezzle and criminally misappropriate the huge sums of money involved by the perpetrators."
Specifically, it alleged that that huge sums of money were surreptitiously removed from the Central 'C" Pay Office Annex, Lagos, by eight police personnel, including Obaniyi, on Ehindero's directive.
After a painstaking investigation, the detectives, sources said, were dissatisfied with the manner of disbursement and the practice of budgeting adopted by the former CP in charge of budget, Mr. Obaniyi, which did not allow for proper checks and balances, and accountability.
It further noted that the N157million, which was a leftover from the 2004 fiscal year, at the exit of former IGP Tafa Balogun, 'should have been returned to the chest in line with fiscal regulations."
The panel also cited that the leftover for 2005 fiscal year was not also returned.
The detectives reportedly discovered arbitrary disbursements which included a 'criminal removal of N157million on Saturday, May 26, two days to the end of Ehindero's tenure".
The loot was said to have been moved out of Force Headquarters in nine huge boxes.
During interrogations, Sunday Sun also learnt, some of the officers reportedly made 'useful statements" to the detectives.
One of them, Ogundeyi, was said to have told his interrogators that he merely handed over the N157million to an unknown person for conveyance to the former CP (Budget), Obaniyi, without proper documentation and records or identity of the persons he handed over the money to.
Thus, they described the action by a police accountant as 'despicable, which leaves much to be desired", describing it as 'reprehensible."
In fact, one of the suspects, DSP Beatrice Omeneki, reportedly told the detectives how they were given a 'dash" of N10, 000 each for assisting in loading the nine Gana-Must-Go bags onto a waiting vehicle on that fateful day.
She, therefore, reportedly urged his boss, ACP Ogundeyi, to own up and say the truth about how much he gave to Mr. Ehindero and Mr. Obaniyi and how much he took for himself, adding, 'unless he is not willing to tell the truth".
Sunday Sun further learnt that Beatrice it was spilled the beans even after they had agreed not to disclose the truth to the investigators.
Following the mysterious death of Agbebaku, she was said to have expressed fear for her life and told the investigators so.
'I am the only breadwinner to my parents and I am a widow with six children. I am saying this in case something happens to me," she was reported as saying.
In his own statement, Obaniyi, whose whereabouts is now unknown, was said to have told the investigators that every disbursement of the N1billion funds for the 2007 elections was made in accordance with instructions from his boss, Ehindero.
He claimed that he was instructed to buy two buses which were used to convey the money.
Obaniyi was also quoted as saying: 'I did the right thing as a professional accountant by taking instructions on how the money was disbursed by the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero."
Obaniyi was said to have also revealed that N29.4million was used as 'PR" to certain individuals as directed by the former IG.
According to him, Ehindero always gave authority for withdrawal of money for any purpose.
Meanwhile, the mysterious death of Agbebaku, personnel of the Police Budget Department in the Lagos office annex, has sent tongues-wagging.
Already Ogundeyi, one of the suspects in the N157 million scam, is urging the investigators drafted from the FCID Abuja looking into the disappearance of the money and the disbursement of N1 billion election funds during Ehindero administration to probe the death.
He was quoted as telling the investigators that it was the late Ogundeyi that was in charge of the Lagos strong-room, and as such was the only one with the key.
According to him, it was the late Agbebaku who held the key to the safe since 2005 when the money was initially lodged in the strong room until he mysteriously died in 2007 before the final part of the money was removed.
According to Ogundeyi, he was not aware that the late Agbebaku surrendered the strong room key to anybody and wondered how the former CP Budget, Obaniyi, was able to remove the balance of N320.6million, which they said was handed over to Ehindero.
Late Agbebaku was said to have died in circumstances that could not be explained, creating room for suspicion that he may have become an obstacle to the perpetrators of the scam who were determined to take the money away by all means.