Abuja—The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, yesterday absolved the
former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor
Charles Soludo of any wrong doing in the alleged Polymer bribery
scandal.
*Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo
The chairman, who spoke at a press conference yesterday in Abuja
also used the event to assert that the commission had not been
given any presidential directive to move against key figures of the
All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to Lamorde, after investigating Soludo, the commission
did not find him incriminated in any way and had to clear him of
any wrongdoing.
Lamorde said: “We invited Charles Soludo in respect of the
printing of currency notes. From the investigation conducted, we
did not find anything Soludo was involved in. Our partners from
UK wanted certain information. So, Soludo has been exonerated.”
The open declaration was made at a press conference to formally
launch a new handbook tagged “Alert on Scam” by the
commission in Abuja.
On the alleged presidential directive to arrest APC leaders,
Lamorde, warned politicians to desist from dragging the
commission into politics, saying that it did not need any directive
to investigate and punish corrupt persons in the country.
He told journalists that the commission had been neutral since the
campaigns began, adding that the EFCC would not be dragged into
politics barely few days to the polls.
He said, “They said there was an order to arrest the leadership of
the party.
”We do not want to get involved in any political discussion. We
have tried to remain neutral since the campaigns started. Let us
do the last lap peacefully.”
“Corruption has become an issue in this political campaign. We
cannot stop people from talking. The irony of it is that, some of
them talking about corruption are standing trial. They are busy
playing to the gallery. It is unfortunate. They do not see
themselves first.
“Some of them have no business taking about corruption. They
are corruption personified. We want to remind them that they still
have their day in court.
“I like to sound a note of warning here that the Commission will no
longer tolerate people dropping its name to further their political
ends.
“The EFCC is not a political body and will not allow itself to be
dragged into political fray by desperate politicians”, Lamorde
warned.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/efcc-clears-soludo-of-polymer-bribery-scandal/