The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Relations has concluded preliminary investigations into the alleged diversion of N1tn by the immediate past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who said this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Monday, added that the Senate would determine whether or not to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Although the chairman did not disclose the committee’s recommendations, it was learnt that it might have recommended the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the ex-EFCC boss.
Lamorde is being investigated by the Senate panel following a petition by one George Uboh, who accused him of diverting about N1tn proceeds of corruption recovered by the EFCC, over a period of time.
Anyanwu said efforts to invite the ex-EFCC boss for questioning by his committee failed because Lamorde refused to honour the invitations extended to him.
He explained that his committee had therefore decided to submit the interim report on its investigation so far to the Senate for further action.
Anyanwu stated that the panel summoned the ex-EFCC boss to appear physically before it on three occasions which he ignored.
He added that the Senate would take appropriate action on his committee’s report whenever it was submitted, denying receiving any court order from Lamorde that could stop the probe.
The committee chairman said, “The period given to us to submit our report has lapsed and Lamorde has refused to honour our invitations. We have therefore, decided to put together our interim report. It is left for the Senate to take further action after we would have submitted our report.’’
Lamorde’s lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, had, last year, threatened legal action if the committee remained adamant that his client must appear in person to react to allegations contained in a petition against him, having left office as the anti-graft agency’s boss.
Keyamo argued that the Senate probe on Lamorde had been overtaken by event as he was no longer the EFCC chairman.
The counsel subsequently dragged the Senate and three others before the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, to stop the upper chamber from summoning Lamorde.
Anyanwu, however, stated that the committee had yet to receive any court injunction stopping it from investigating Lamorde.
He said, “As far as there was no restriction on the Senate by any court of competent jurisdiction, we will carry on with our assignment and we will submit our interim report on the issue probably this week.
“We have not received any injunction from the court restraining us from doing our duty as far as that matter is concerned. If the Senate deems it fit to issue a warrant of arrest against him, it will be determined at plenary during the consideration of our interim report.”
The Senate panel had invited Lamorde to appear before it shortly before the upper chamber went on Christmas break but he shunned the sittings as his lawyer, who appeared on his behalf, told the Senate panel that his client travelled out of the country for medical attention.
Uboh, the Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, had petitioned the Senate through the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Peter Nwaoboshi.
He had alleged that Lamorde, in connivance with other EFCC officials, short-changed the Federal Government in the remittance of funds and property recovered from some eminent public office- holders.
The immediate past chairman of the EFCC had, on November 17, 2015, approached a Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order restraining security agents from arresting him.
According to court documents, made available to journalists by Keyamo, Lamorde also sought an order setting aside all letters of invitation to him by the National Assembly to appear before them.
Lamorde, a police officer, was removed as the EFCC chairman on November 9, 2015, four years after he took over as head of the anti-graft agency.
Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission says it does not know the whereabouts of the former Chairman of the EFCC.
The PSC Commissioner in charge of Media, Comfort Obi, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Monday, said the commission did not know where Lamorde was, adding that the Force Headquarters had yet to brief the PSC on his new posting.
“We know that he (Lamorde) has been relieved of his appointment (as EFCC chairman), but the police have not sent his new posting to us; so, we don’t know where he is presently,” Obi said over the telephone.
The PSC commissioner stated that there was no petition or complaint against Lamorde before the commission.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, pleaded for time to get information on Lamorde, but she had yet to get back to one of our correspondents as of the time of filing this report.
About The Nigerian Blogger
0 comments :
Post a Comment