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Tag: EFCC

  • Akinjide returned N640m in separate case – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said on Wednesday the N640million returned by a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, was for another fraud case.

    Akinjide was arraigned for alleged money laundering alongside a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Oyo State, Chief Olarenwaju Otiti, a former Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Adeseun and a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be at large.

    The EFCC accused them of conspiring to directly take possession of N650 million without going through a financial institution.

    EFCC said the N640 million Akinjide returned was not part of the N650 million she allegedly received from Mrs. Alison-Madueke ahead of the 2015 election and for which she is standing trial before Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    An EFCC investigator, Usman Zakari, said the former minister was being investigated for a separate fraud case.

    Zakari had said during a trial-within-trial on Monday that Mrs. Akinjide’s husband paid N10 million to the Commission in August 2016.

    When asked by Akinjide’s lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), if the N10 million was a condition for her release, Mr. Zakari said “No”.

    He added: “On August 10, 2016, he volunteered a Sterling Bank draft of N10 million on behalf of his wife as part payment of the N650 million that was traced to her and the co-accused.

    “The N10 million was paid by the first defendant’s husband on her behalf and the remaining N640 million has not been paid.”

    The witness said the returned N640million was not the balance of the N650million in the ongoing trial.

    “I am aware that the sum of N640 million was received from the first defendant in Stanbic IBTC Bank draft in another case investigated by a team tagged, HOPST, which was headed by one Shuaibu Shehu,” Zakari said.

     

     

  • N950m fraud: Court adjourns Shekarau, others case to October 18

    A Federal high court sitting in Kano Tuesday adjourned the N950million fraud suit, involving the former governor of Kano state Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, former Minister of Foreign Affairs ambassador Aminu Wali and Director General Goodluck Jonathan Campaign organization, Engr. Mansur Ahmed till October 18, 2018.

    The three suspects were accused of criminal offence of money laundering to the tune N950million by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in which each of them allegedly collected N25million to facilitate former president Jonathan’s 2015 presidential campaign.

    In his submission, the prosecuting counsel Barr. Jonson Ojogbane informed the court that EFCC had already applied for the transfer of the matter, through the Chief Justice of the Federal high court in Abuja, from Kano to another judicial division due to security threat. Barr. Ojogbone thereby sought for adjournment of the suit to enable them conclude the process of the transfer, expediently waiting for the lordship approval.

    According to the EFCC lawyer “ I wish to inform the court that, after we left here on the last day, due to the difficult situation we find ourselves and subsequent even same day at our Kano office, it is practically impossible for us to continue to prosecute this case in this judicial division. Consequently, we wrote a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal high court in Abuja on the 1st June, 2018, seeking for his gracious intervention, to transfer this case from this division to another division which is saver to all concern.

    Read Also: N950m fraud: Shekarau, two others quizzed

    “ We also further wrote an application, dated 25th June, 2018, for the adjournment of this case to enable us complete the process of the transfer. Section 98 sub-section (1)(2)

    Of the administration of criminal justice act.2015, where its stated clear that, the Chief Judge has the power to transfer a case from one court to another, we wish to apply that this case is adjourned to another.

    Interjected midway, the presiding Judge, Justice Zainab Abubakar Kaji insisted that the prosecution counsel cannot request for such application for adjournment without specifically mentioning a date that will be convenient to both parties.

    On his part, counsel to the first defendant (Ibrahim Shekarau) Jibrin S. Okutepa (SAN), who vehemently opposed the application on transfer of the case from Kano insisted that the transfer was a sign that the prosecution was not prepared to continue with the suit.

    Okutepa who argued that the prosecution has not excuse to apply for such application on the basis of security threat with all the security apparatus at his disposal, also averred that the prosecution was not mindful of financial expenses and other implications that might cause his clients.

    According to Okutepa “ We are in court this morning (Tuesday), we walk to the court in peace, we are worried that the prosecution who has all the apparatus at his disposal will entertain such fears and went ahead to apply for the transfer of this case. It is a sign that the prosecution are not ready”.

    Counsel to second (Aminu Wali) and third ( Mansur Ahmad) defendants, Sam T. Ologunorisa (SAN) who also challenged the prosecution’s application for transfer however raised alarm that from intelligence report that ”there is the likelihood that our clients and over 50 witnesses maybe kidnapped on their way to Abuja.

    In her ruling the presiding Judge, Justice Zainab Abukakar said “application such as this, are meant for the court to stay action, until the Chief Judge response or accede to the request, on whether the case will continue in Kano or not.

    The Judge thereby adjourned the case to 18th of October, 2018, pending the request before the Chief Judge.

  • PDP to APC Chair: submit yourself to EFCC

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole to immediately submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to clear corruption allegations against him.

    The opposition party said Oshiomhole lacked the rectitude to speak in public as a leader at any level, whatsoever, until he clears the allegations that he diverted billions of naira meant for the people of Edo State while he was governor from 2008 to 2016.

    A statement yesterday by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said since the petition against Oshiomhole at the EFCC was in the public domain, the newly elected party chairman would do the APC, Buhari Presidency, the EFCC as well as himself a lot of good by quietly submitting himself for investigation and possibly prosecution.

    According to the party, since one of the campaign footstools upon which APC was elected into office is fighting corruption, it will be strange for Oshiomhole to go about his new assignment with allegation of corruption, even if it’s as tiny as a strand of hair.

    The statement said: “It is also instructive for the new chairman to understand that Nigerians are no longer inclined to sophistry, illogical arguments, deceit, contrivance and recourse to abuse as a method of campaign.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Aiteo sues EFCC for N10b over alleged invasion

    •Peters failed to honour invitation, says commission

    THE Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned until September 27 for judgment in a suit by Aiteo Energy Resources Ltd against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The oil and gas firm sued EFCC, one of its investors, Iliyasu Kwabi and the Attorney-General of the Federation for N10 billion.

    The applicants are Aiteo’s Executive Director, Tunde Akinpelu, Managing Director Ewariezi Useh and in-house counsel Oladele Awonuga.

    Through their lawyers Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the applicants prayed the court to hold that EFCC operatives’ invasion of their business premises and their alleged arrest and torture violated their rights to personal liberty and human dignity.

    They claimed that EFCC officials allegedly subjected them to inhuman treatment for over five hours on June 1, 2016 at their 5/7 Dockyard Road, Apapa, Lagos office.

    The applicants said it was in a bid to arrest Aiteo’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Benedict Peters “over an issue he was not privy to”.

    They prayed Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo to declare the alleged invasion as unlawful, and to hold that their intimidation and harassment by EFCC was unconstitutional.

    According to them, the respondents’ “brute use of physical force, viet armis, assault, detention and threats of more physical abuse on the applicants for purposes of harassment, intimidation and arm-twisting under the guise of procuring the arrest of Peters amounts to resort to self-help…and subversion of the rule of law…”

    The applicants prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further disrupting their business and arresting, detaining or harassing them.

    Olanipekun and Ozekhome argued that the applicants did not commit any offence to warrant the alleged invasion and disruption of their business activities by the EFCC agents.

    Besides, they said criminal liability was personal, not vicarious, and is subject to proof beyond reasonable doubt, even as the applicants cannot be punished for an offence purportedly committed by another.

    But, EFCC, through its counsel Mr. Anselem Ozioko, prayed the court to dismiss the suit, adding that it was a ploy to stop the commission’s investigation of Peters.

    In a counter-affidavit, Kwarbi, a member of EFCC Special Task Force on the Recovery of Stolen Public Assets, said the commission received an intelligence report in 2016 over allegations of conspiracy, stealing and money laundering involving former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Peters and Aiteo Energy.

    Kwarbi said EFCC wrote Peters to assist in the investigation, but that he “was not willing and ready to honour the invitation”.

    He said Peters was not on medical vacation overseas as he claimed but was “merely trying to avoid investigation”.

    EFCC said it obtained a warrant for Peters’ arrest and that its men were civil and courteous when they went to his office to “check on” him, adding that the officers were not armed nor did they brutalise or arrest anyone.

    “The first respondent’s officers did not storm the first applicant’s premises in a commando-like manner or locked the gate or blocked the entry and exit gates for three hours as alleged,” the commission said.

    EFCC also denied liability for any damages, adding that the applicants “did not suffer any mental or psychological trauma as alleged or at all”.

    “The applicants are using this suit as a decoy to frustrate the investigation of Benedict Peters by the first respondent.”

    Justice Oguntoyibo adjourned until September 27 for judgment.

  • Alleged fraud: Witness absence stalls oil marketer’s trial

    The absence of a prosecution witness in court on Thursday stalled the trial of an oil marketer, Frank Karkitie, who was arraigned for allegedly defrauding a first generation bank of N282.7 million.

    Karkitie was arraigned alongside his company, Enegas Power Limited,  Dawodu Sheriff and  Ogbemudia Benson, at the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

    They were arraigned on a six-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, obtaining money by false pretences, conspiracy to commit forgery and forgery.

    At resumed sitting of the court on Thursday, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Vera Agboje, told the court that the witness, who was expected to testify, was writing a postgraduate examination at the University of Lagos.

    She said: “My lord, I called the witness for this trial yesterday (Wednesday)  and he said he would be having his postgraduate examination today.

    “He said the examination will be conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. My humble application before the court is for a stand-down to enable my witness to attend trial.”

    Following the development, Justice Josephine Oyefeso, adjourned the case till September 18.

    The EFCC had alleged that the defendants on April 14, 2014 in Lagos conspired to obtain money by false pretences from the bank.

    “The defendants obtained a total sum of N282.7 million from the bank by falsely representing that they had a Local Purchasing Orders with numbers DCT/07-031.

    “The Local Purchasing Order was falsely claimed to have been issued by Dangote cement firm at Obajana in favour of Enegas power Limited for supply of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) to the cement company which was a false representation.

    “Between January 28, 2014 to March 28, 2014 the defendants forged the stamp of Dangote Cement Transport, Obajana, on Enegas Power Limited’s purported letter to Dangote Cement Transport, dated January 21, 2014.

    “In order to facilitate the fraud, the defendants forged the stamp of Dangote Cement Transport, Obajana, on Enegas Power Limited’s invoice no. LPO/NO-DCT/06-031 dated February 28, 2014,” the EFCC counsel added.

     

     

  • EFCC arraigns siblings for N50m fraud

    A staff of MTN Nigeria, Funsho Finnih and his sister, Oluwatosin Olowodola, were on Thursday arraigned before a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding one Semaan Abboud of N50million.

    Funsho, a senior staff of MTN and his sister, were arraigned on a two- count charge of fraud and conspiracy before Justice Olusola Williams.

    The EFCC alleged that the duo committed the offence on May 2, 2009 in Lagos.

    According to EFCC, the siblings fraudulently defrauded Abboud of N50 million.

    “The duo under false representation sold a property located at 40, Oduduwa Crescent, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. They claimed to have the right to sell the said property, a claim which they knew to be false,” the EFCC said.

    They both denied the charges.

    Following the defendants’ not guilty plea, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. M.S Owede, asked that the defendants be remanded in prison pending commencement of trial.

    Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Vincent Orizu, who prayed the court to allow him file an oral application for bail on behalf of his clients, said if the first defendant is refused bail, he may lose his job with MTN.

    “I pray that my Lord will consider the defendants for bail. They will not jump bail. They were only served yesterday and they are in court today.

    “The first defendant works with a telecommunications company, MTN and he may be sacked if he didn’t show up at work

    “This case has earlier been filed before Hon. Justice Olayinka and they were granted bail then.

    “The property in question belongs to their father and they were wrongly advised to sell the property.

    “When the mistake was realized, they proposed to refund the money but the claimant insisted on taking the matter to court,” he said.

    Justice Williams granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 .

    She also ruled that one of the sureties must be a land owner in Lagos and a blood relation who is gainfully employed.

  • EFCC to call six witness as senator’s ‘money laundering’ trial begins

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it will call six witnesses in the trial of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi for alleged money laundering.

    Two of the witnesses, Prince Kpokpogiri and Murtala Abubakar, testified before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday.

    Prosecuting counsel Wemimo Ogunde (SAN) told the judge that the prosecution would bring the remaining four witnesses within two days.

    Kpokpogiri, the first witness who runs the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum, said he sent a petition to the EFCC after receiving an anonymous call and some documents at his Asaba, Delta State office.

    Kpokpogiri, who was led in evidence by Ogunde, said he was subsequently invited by the EFCC to Abuja to confirm the petition.

    Under cross-examination by defence counsel Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), the witness said he did not investigate the allegations in the petition before forwarding it to EFCC.

    Idigbe accused the witness of being an EFCC agent, saying: “I put it to you that apart from the fact that you did not investigate the documents, you did not also take any step to verify the facts stated in the petition.”

    He responded: “I only investigated by going through the documents. I did not contact the defendants because it is the work of the EFCC.”

    The second prosecution witness, Abubakar, who heads Nigerian Export Import (NEXIM) Bank Enterprise Risk Management unit, said the third defendant, Suiming Electricals Limited, applied for a loan in December 2013, which was approved in April 2014.

    He said Nwaoboshi, who was a NEXIM Bank board member, asked to be excused from the meeting where a decision to grant the loan was taken.

    According to him, the senator is a director at Bilderberg Enterprises Ltd, a holding company which has the majority shareholding in Suiming Electricals Nigeria.

    Abubakar said EFCC sent five requests to the bank regarding the loan granted Suiming Electricals, adding under cross examination that the company met all the bank’s conditions before the loan was disbursed.

    The witness said although the third defendant had repaid over N billion of the loan, it was still non-performing.

    “The loan facility is for five years. There is a difference between paying and performing. When we give a loan, we give you a payment plan. When you are supposed to be paying N1 million quarterly but you are paying ?200,000, you are paying but you are not performing.”

    EFCC arraigned Nwaoboshi, Golden Touch Construction Projects Limited and Suiming Electricals for alleged N322million fraud.

    The prosecution alleged that Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects purchased a 12-storey property known as Guinea House, Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos for N805million between May and June 2014.

    The anti-graft agency claimed that N322million out of the N805million was part of proceeds of “an unlawful act, to wit: fraud.”

    The EFCC alleged that the N322million was transferred to the property’s vendor on the order of Suiming Electricals, which was accused of aiding Nwaoboshi and Golden Touch Construction Projects to commit money laundering on or about May 14, 2014.

    According to EFCC, Nwaoboshi, a former Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, got a contract through Bilderberg Enterprises Ltd to supply new construction equipment to the state Direct Labour Agency at N1,580,000,000.

    The company allegedly imported and supplied used construction equipment rather than brand new ones despite receiving full payment.

    EFCC said Nwaoboshi, with the proceeds, bought the 12-floor building from Delta State Government at N805million in the name of Golden Touch Construction Projects.

    The commission said the senator had “no visible legitimate business venture to generate the amount spent to purchase the said property”.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Idris adjourned until July 2 and 3.

  • EFCC to court: dismiss Jonathan’s ex-aide Dudafa’s no-case submission

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to order ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s former aide, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, to open his defence.

    The anti-graft agency prayed the court to dismiss the no-case submissions filed by Dudafa and his co-accused, Mr. Iwejuo Joseph Nna, a banker.

    EFCC arraigned them before Justice Mohammed Idris on 23-counts of conspiracy to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6 billion on June 11, 2013.

    The prosecution closed its case on March 16, but the defendants opted to make a no-case submission.

    Moving the applications, defence counsel Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) (for Dudafa) and Ige Asemudara urged the court to discharge and acquit their clients as the evidence led by the prosecution did not indict them.

    “We urge your lordship to hold that no case has been made out against the first defendant to warrant his being asked to enter a defence,” Oyewole said.

    The SAN said the money Dudafa was accused of laundering was given to him by his bosses, adding that there was no evidence that the funds were stolen.

    “The first defendant has stated the source of the money. He was an aide. And there is nothing to show that the money came from a criminal source,” Oyewole said.

    Asemudara faulted the prosecution’s claim that the money was allegedly obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) based on an instruction letter by former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

    “Nothing was tendered showing that the money Dasuki requested left the CBN. There must be a debit note to show that the money left. In the absence of that, it cannot be said that there was a crime,” he said.

    Besides, Asemudara said his client, a bank branch manager in Yenegoa, the Bayelsa State capital, had no link with the companies in whose accounts the money was kept.

    “These monies were in the ordinary books of the bank and were not hidden under a pillow. If indeed there was concealment, it must be by the bank and not the branch manager who is an employee.

    “The accounts were accessible and so the issue of concealment could not have arisen. We urge your Lordship to discharge the second defendant on all the counts,” Asemudara said.

    But, prosecuting counsel Nnaemeka Omenwa argued that the prosecution, through its seven witnesses and exhibits tendered, made out a prima facie case against the defendants to require them to enter their defence.

    He said there was evidence that Dudafa asked Nna to raise drafts in respect of the monies, adding that it was Nna who signed on the companies’ accounts using fictitious names.

    “The evidence on record shows clearly that the first defendant was appointed by the Federal Government as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic/Household and Social Events between 2012 and 2015.

    “The evidence on record shows that in the course of this service, huge sums of money, which are not the first defendant’s salary and allowances, were traced to the accounts, which he procured the second defendant to open, maintain and operate in fictitious names.

    “The second defendant, who at the material time was the Branch Manager in Yenogoa branch of Heritage Bank, acceded to the request of the first defendant and agreed with him to conceal these funds in the accounts opened in the name of Seagate Property Development and Investment Ltd, Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd, Ebiwise Resources, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Rotato Interlink Services Ltd and De Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant Nigeria Ltd.”

    EFCC said the evidence on record established a prima facie case that the funds were received in foreign currencies from Dudafa by Murtala Bashir Abubakar through the state house staff and that Abubakar thereafter converted the currencies to naira and credited the accounts nominated by Dudafa “in grand conspiracy with the second defendant.”

    “We, therefore, urge my lord to hold that the prosecution has made out a case of conspiracy against the defendants as alleged in counts 1,” EFCC said.

    Justice Idris adjourned till July 6 for ruling on the no-case submission.

     

     

  • Secondus accuses EFCC of persecuting PDP states

    PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus has berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged bias in the execution of its anti-corruption war.

    According to Secondus, the recent arrest and harassment of contractors handling projects in only PDP states has clearly exposed the anti-graft agency as doing the bidding of the ruling party ahead of the 2019 elections.

    In a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi, the party chairman said the EFCC has deployed its operatives to intimidate and harass contractors handling various projects in some states controlled by PDP.

    He described the EFCC’s action as a move to frustrate project goals in the affected states, saying the PDP controlled states  have outperformed their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC)  controlled states.

    The party chairman expressed regrets that the commission has remained beclouded in its bias and has refused to heed the advisories from well-meaning Nigerians and foreign partners.

    The British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, had a few days ago, urged the EFCC leadership not to take sides with any political party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Arkwright had urged the EFCC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to preserve the integrity of the political process, including embarking on investigations without prejudice.

    The party chairman, however, noted that the leadership of the EFCC, rather than take the envoy’s counsel, has made itself a willing tool to assist the ruling APC manipulate the 2019 general elections.

     

    EFCC to PDP chairman: provide evidence

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday faulted Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus for alleging that the anti-graft agency has been intimidating contractors working for some PDP states, especially in Rivers and Taraba.

    The commission described Secondus’ allegations as puerile and without substance.

    In a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC asked Secondus  to provide evidence of any intimidation or harassment.

    The statement said: “Allegation by Prince Uche Secondus of harassment and intimidation of contractors working for some PDP states by the EFCC is puerile and lacks substance.  Who are the contractors being intimidated? That he failed to mention them is evidence that the so-called contractors do not exist.

    “The EFCC is not in the business of harassing people and I don’t know any contractor that is being intimidated merely for doing contract in a PDP state.

    “If you have not violated the law, the EFCC has no business with you. Unless they are haunted by their shadows, Secondus and his contractors in Taraba and Rivers states should sleep easy.”

     

     

  • ‘Conviction of Nyame, Dariye shows EFCC not selective’

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said the conviction of ex-Governors Jolly Nyame (Taraba) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau) for corruption, confirmed that it was not selective in trial of suspects.

    It explained that a former Accountant-General of Kebbi Mohammed Dakingari and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 70 years in prison

    It  explained that a chieftain of the APC, ex-Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu is still being prosecuted in court.

    The anti-graft agency said it is apolitical and blind to the political colours and affiliations of crime suspects.

    The EFCC, in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity Wilson Uwujaren, said in Dariye’s case, one of the witnesses, Peter Clark , a former detective of the Metropolitan Police, came many  times from Britain to give evidence only for proceedings to be frustrated with forced adjournments by Dariye’s lawyers

    The statement said: “The conviction of two prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye in quick succession by a Federal Capital Territory High Court has put a lie to the often repeated charge by critics and cynics that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is lukewarm in prosecuting chieftains of the ruling party for corruption. Nyame and Dariye, both former two-term governors of Taraba and Plateau State respectively, were convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges.

    “Nyame, for criminal misappropriation, diversion of public funds, and breach of public trust; and Dariye, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds. In the course of Nyame’s trial, the prosecution called 14 witnesses and presented documentary evidence, which among other things revealed that the N250 million was shared and never utilized for the purpose for which it was approved. “A total of N180 million was diverted to the bank account of Salman Global Ventures Limited, which provided no services for the state.

    “Dariye diverted about N1.16 billion Ecological Fund meant for the state, to his personal use, including transferring monies to Ebenezer Retnan Ventures (an unregistered company managed by him) and Pinnacle Communications Limited.

    “In proving its case against Dariye, EFCC called 10 witnesses, including Peter Clark, a detective constable with the UK Metropolitan Police in London, who investigated Dariye in the UK for money laundering offence.

    “Both trials had been ongoing for 11 years and towards the end of the proceedings, the two convicts changed their political camps, moving from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling APC. “Dariye who won election into the Senate on the platform of the PDP defected  to the ruling APC, at a critical phase of his trial, when the prosecution had called all its vital witnesses and conviction appeared imminent. Not surprisingly, this fueled speculation that the gambit was a calculated move to stave off imminent conviction.

    “But rather than slow proceedings, his trial accelerated, forcing the defence to close its case, thus setting the stage for the judgment of June12.”

    The EFCC cited other cases to prove that it is unbiased in investigation and trial of suspects.

    The statement added: “Also, Mohammed Dakingari, former accountant general of Kebbi state and member of the APC was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 70 years in prison.

    On Kalu, the EFCC said: the Commission had closed its case in that matter after calling many witnesses. But rather than open his defence, Kalu elected to file a ‘no case submission’. It will be up to the court to determine whether the Commission has presented enough evidence to warrant him to enter his defence.