The lawmakers said they would not honour the EFCC invitation because they have instituted a suit against the agency.

The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, and his colleagues allegedly embezzled millions of naira belonging to the House, including forging the receipts of two filling stations, court documents filed before the Federal High Court in the state have shown.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is investigating the lawmakers over a N700 million alleged fraud.

The documents, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, showed that the Assembly, under the leadership of Mr Oluomo, had claimed to have spent the money on training and other “miscellaneous expenses.”

Part of the money, it was gathered, was also expended on the purchase of fuel from two fueling stations in Abeokuta.

On request, the Assembly had submitted receipts to the EFCC as proof that the spending followed due process.

Yazid Bawa, an operative of the EFCC who deposed to the commission’s counter-affidavit, said after analysing the receipts, they invited the lawmakers to come and make clarifications on some discrepancies observed.

Despite several letters to the lawmakers, Mr Bawa said they refused to honour the invitation.


Fuel purchase

The EFCC said the Assembly submitted receipts of fuel purchases from NNPC mega station and Ashkash filling station, both in Abeokuta.

Our correspondent was told the franchise of the NNPC mega station in Abeokuta is owned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, while the immediate past Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, owns Ashkash filling station.

Upon receipt of the documents from the Assembly, the anti-graft agency wrote both stations to confirm the veracity of the receipts, but both stations wrote EFCC confirming that the receipts presented to it by the Assembly are fake.

In their separate responses to the EFCC, it was seen that both companies clearly denied the receipts in question.

For the NNPC, through a letterhead by Obasanjo Holdings Limited (Mega station), the filing station responded saying, “Your letter dated January 24, 2022, on the above subject refers. We write to inform you that the receipts being investigated were not issued by our filling station.

“Please find attached copies of the receipt we issued in 2018,2019 and 2021 which differs from those in question. We hope this addresses your concern.”

Also, Ashkash on its letterhead, Ashkash Nigeria Limited, responded that, “Sequel to your letter with reference no CR: 3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/OG Vol 1/63. Dated January 24, 2022.

“We have painstakingly and extensively gone through our records, nothing of such exists in our transactions records. By this, we did not know anything about the receipts sent for investigation. Thanks for your usual cooperation.”


‘Financial records’

The EFCC said it had received intelligence that principal members of the House connived to divert for personal use N700 million allocated for the running of the House of Assembly.

The agency said preliminary investigation into the intelligence showed there are “criminal schemes perpetuated inside the Ogun State House of Assembly by its members and officials including but not limited to forgeries of documents, falsification of financial records and diversion of public funds by some elected members and civil servant.”

The agency further said the financial records of the House were falsified in order to retire public funds the lawmakers had diverted or wanted to divert for their personal use.

“Investigations have also revealed that some corporate entities that purportedly issued some invoices and receipts to the plaintiffs do not exist even though these receipts and invoices were used by the plaintiffs and their cohorts to justify the disbursement of funds.”

The EFCC accused the lawmakers and their agents of threatening some possible witnesses that would help the agency in its investigation.

The commission denied claims that it was being used by Oludare Kadiri, the impeached Deputy Speaker of the House, adding that it was not aware of the political differences between the House and Mr Kadiri.

The House had impeached Mr Kadiri last year over allegations of gross misconduct.

The lawmaker had also accused his colleagues of forging his signature to swindle the Assembly of about N50 million.

In its reaction to the EFCC, the Ogun Assembly approached a Federal High Court in Abeokuta seeking an order to stall the anti-graft agency’s investigation pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The lawmakers attributed their failure to honour the EFCC invitation to the pending suit.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/516417-alleged-n700m-fraud-how-ogun-lawmakers-forged-fuel-stations-signatures-efcc.html



Lalasticlala

NOT GUILTY

Everyone the chop em own share of the National cake

Nice one from Efcc,the problem now is are they going to pay for this crime?
No one wants a situation whereby they will bail their way out.

Himtulie247:

NOT GUILTY

Everyone the chop in share of the National cake

I own the red one.

iFIX

In American,just this kind of accusation,every one of them go just resign.not in this zoo.


Hadley Chase available

If FFk, a former minister of the Federal republic could expend as much as 820k to procure fake Doctor's report to avoid appearing in court, only God knows what the speaker and his fellow thieves in OGHA would have spent to procure the fake receipts.

G

Nigeria was laid on a very faulty foundation, what has been avoided and defended with the sweat, blood and resources of the people will still eventually happen, when you construct a house with a faulty foundation, no matter how you try to make adjustment on the building, you might only buy sometime before it will collapse and when it does, it might cause more damage to the occupants because they were not prepared for it, unlike someone who took the hard decision to demolish it himself before using it and started a new foundation to erect a new building...


It's just a matter of time

If it involves politicians, EFCC can’t win, they should keep celebrating theirs wins on the small small yahoo boys they chasing around in Ogun axis.

Unfortunately these so called leaders have nothing to offer. Not integrity, not performance, not even hope. Absolutely nothing!

Na those mumu wey dey support/defend these heartless polithiefians give them power to suck the zoo dry.

Cc, Seunmsg, helinues, racoon, freestuffng etc

APC criminals

Any politician that have stolen from our national treasury will never end well in life.

No matter the political party they are.

Omoh

arrest dem all.Efcc your food don dey ground

Nawa oo... Shame on you

Forged again

Fake receipts

If we don't agree to collapse this country, corruption will definitely do it. We are almost there because presently Nigeria uses 90% of her earnings to service debts not to talk of the principals. Unless an economic and financial guru is elected the next president, Nigeria cannot withstand the heavy weight of corruption being witnessed in all sectors.

Just one of many fraud...

Why dem no post them with mugshot?

Hypocrisy!

But if na these small boys on street wey dey manage to survive with $50 to $100 gifr cards, dem go don post them with mugshot

2mercy:
The lawmakers said they would not honour the EFCC invitation because they have instituted a suit against the agency.




https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/516417-alleged-n700m-fraud-how-ogun-lawmakers-forged-fuel-stations-signatures-efcc.html



Lalasticlala

Bestiee01:
In American,just this kind of accusation,every one of them go just resign.not in this zoo.


Hadley Chase available

Nigeria is not the United States, you done see snow fall for Nigeria before?

No be only resign, Ohio State law maker wey embezzle millions yet say na expenditures?

What of the $886 billion monumental fraud called Afghanistan? Kai that kind defense contract money go sweet?

Even men wey dey do 19 go still collect on top come collect wash wash black dollars from Afghanistan.

seyz91:
Why dem no post them with mugshot?

Hypocrisy!

But if na these small boys on street wey dey manage to survive with $50 to $100 gifr cards, dem go don post them with mugshot

As usual you did not read properly?

They claim there is a pending lawsuit & are therefore not in position to honor EFCC’s invitation.

For your mind, na scam

Believe those nonsense at your own peril,

Same special treatment dem dey give abba kyariand ko where as they suppose to have mugshotted them all

Na still hypocrisy and partiality in judgement to me

You think say na all the boys being mugshoted are guilty of the crime? Or you think say na all people wey dey prison guilty as charged

My point is, as usual, dem go sweep the case under carpet

buckeyemedia:
As usual you did not read properly?

They claim there is a pending lawsuit & are therefore not in position to honor EFCC’s invitation.