Posted by Jude Owuamanam, Jos on
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, has explained why the commission froze the accounts of the Plateau State Government.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, has explained why the commission froze the accounts of the Plateau State Government.
Ribadu, who appeared before the committee of the Plateau State House of Assembly, which is investigating the allegations of money laundering levelled against the state Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, said that despite the ongoing investigation into the allegations, huge sums of money were still being withdrawn without due process.
Ribadu, who was represented by the EFCC's Director of Operation, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, said that the commission was baffled that between January and March 2005, various sums of money totalling N505million were withdrawn from the accounts without due process.
He was responding to the question of the state's Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Clement Dakas, on why the accounts should be frozen when it was not the state government as an entity that was under investigation.
Dakas said that moreover the order to freeze the accounts was obtained via a motion ex-parte without hearing from the state government.
But Ribadu said the commission found it incongruous that cash of such huge amount could be withdrawn in the transaction of government business instead of issuing cheques to defray whatever expenditure the government had to meet.
He said, "It is just amazing that somebody could go to the bank and withdraw about N100million in cash. We owe it as a duty to the people and had to freeze the accounts because they were being used to perpetuate fraud."
He said that the EFCC had to delay the action until it had invited all those involved for questioning, adding that the commission would take appropriate action when all those currently being questioned in Lagos had explained their roles in the transactions.
Earlier, Dakas had explained that the action of the EFCC was in bad faith because it was the governor that was being investigated.
He said that the action would bring the state government to ridicule as it had made commitment to the people to pay their salaries on the 26th of every month.
Speaking at the end of the presentation, the Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Usman Zumunta Musa, thanked Ribadu for honouring the invitation and promised that the committee would look into the documents he presented.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has arrested the Managing Director of the controversial Ekiti State Joint Poultry Project, Mr. Dare Oguntuase.
Oguntuase was arrested over the N1.4billion project, in which each of the 16 local governments in the state contributed N25million while the state government provided N300million.
The PUNCH, Friday, January 20, 2006