• Senior official says commission won’t act on assumptions

There seems to be confusion regarding a petition said to have been pending against the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. An investigation by Saturday Telegraph has revealed that there may not be any formal complaint before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) afterall.

A national daily had, in a report published on August 27, this year, stated that the anti-graft agency had begun an investigation into allegations of corruption contained in a petition against the ministerial nominee, by a Port- Harcourt-based group.

The report further noted that consequent upon the said petition, the EFCC had written three letters dated August 13. Two of the letters, it said, were addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Rivers State Ministry of Finance. But, a highly placed source, who asked not to be identified told Saturday Telegraph, that he was not aware of any petition against Amaechi at the time of the investigation.

He said: “To the best of my knowledge, I don’t know of any petition before us against him (Amaechi), to have necessitated an invitation for questioning, as is consistent with our practice. If there is any – and I doubt – I’m not aware of such.” He promised to “keep you updated, whenever anything contrary to what I have just told you, happens.”

The source also insisted that he was giving this information “strictly based on the facts available to me.” Efforts to get an official comment from the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, failed as his phone line did not connect.

Amaechi, a ministerial nominee, who was screened on Thursday by the Senate was asked questions on his alleged indictment by the Rivers State Government commission of enquiry and his view on corruption. On his alleged corruption and indictment, Amaechi said:
“I was born to test my rights and fight for my rights. I was once a students union leader and believe me, if there is one man who does not like corruption, I do not like corruption. “I came here with a copy of the so-called panel report, there is nowhere that the panel indicted me. I am ready to tender this report before the Senate.

I was ready for the questions on it and I brought the panel report so the Senate can juxtapose it with the White Paper.” The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State chapter, had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the former governor, arguing that the development would give vent to the President’s anticorruption drive.

It would be recalled that the state Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the administration of Amaechi had on October 12 submitted its report to the state governor, Nyesom Wike. Though the former governor did not appear before the panel throughout its 30 days of sitting, the commission, however, went on to conduct its investigations.

Presenting the report to Wike, the chairman of the commission, Justice George Omereji, said some persons had been recommended to return mismanaged funds, while others were pencilled down for immediate prosecution. It was gathered that the former governor was accused of allegedly misappropriating N53 billion from the state Reserve Fund between 2014 and May this year.

Wike, on his part, said his government would not be intimidated, assuring members of the commission that its recommendations would be implemented to the letter. Amaechi had tried to stop the probe panel but a Rivers State High Court on August 20 empowered the Commission of Inquiry to proceed with the probe.

However the presiding judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, said the judicial commission of inquiry was not established to investigate the personal activities of the former governor, but to investigate previous actions of government as they affected the people of the state. The judge also confirmed that Wike was empowered by law to probe Amaechi’s administration and those before him to see how the state’s resources were expended.

http://newtelegraphonline.com/efcc-yet-to-receive-petition-against-amaechi/

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