EFCC quizzes Bankole, searches home

[TGD]

 FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, was still going through interrogation at the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday.

It was learnt that the agency yesterday morning got a warrant to search the house of the former speaker as part of the investigation into his  alleged financial misappropriation .

Bankole was arrested in Abuja on Sunday night and is being investigated over a N2.3 billion car scam that greeted the commencement of his administration as speaker of the House. He is also being investigated over his alleged mismanagement of over N9 billion capital project fund in 2010; and the latest one, the N10 billion  loan scam.

On the N10 billion loan crisis , however, an  EFCC source disclosed that the former speaker is being investigated for N25 billion "but it is N10b that is  known in the public domain."

Bankole is also being investigated for another $1billion allegedly traced to his UBA account.

As at press time, no concrete information had emerged from  the EFCC as to the fate of the former number four man. A source at the EFCC also confirmed that Bankole's travel documents had been seized.

Meanwhile, two prominent elders in the North, former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and erstwhile Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), retired Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Bata Magwai Haruna have asked the Federal Government to bring to book all public officeholders involved in corrupt practices rather than selective prosecution.

They said that it was high time the nation's executive, legislative and judicial arms of government underwent serious cleansing from corruption, if the country was to survive socio-economic and political decay .

In his reaction to the arrest of Bankole by EFCC, Musa who believed that the Federal Government was not sincere in the battle against corruption in the country said that "why didn't they arrest the former speaker until he ceased to be the speaker", adding that "this gives the impression that EFCC is working under instruction."

"Which means EFCC is involved in selective arrest. Why should they arrest Bankole now when they should have done that when he was Speaker in the House of Representatives? They could not arrest him at that time because the person who should give them the instruction to arrest him did not do so. Which means EFCC is not really independent and in control," he added.

Musa who is also the chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) said further: "EFCC is working on the instruction of someone, on whom to arrest and when. They are involved in selective arrest. The corruption in the country, particularly the N10 billion saga for which Bankole was arrested has been happening since the Second Republic, and there are corruption allegations involving many public officers in Jonathan government that have not been touched, they have been left alone to go away with it."

He continued: "Bankole had no immunity when he was speaker. He should have been arrested along with others involved in the N10 billion bank loan which was used to service their welfare. As far as I understand the constitution there is no immunity for them (legislators) against arrest." Musa,  however,  stressed that "for justice to be done on this issue, all public officeholders involved in allegation of corruption must be brought to face the music and they must return their loot to the national treasury while they are severely punished.

"What of the former Speaker, Ette? Now, the same House of Representatives when the members were having their valedictory session, cleared her of wrongdoing. What type of country are we running? Is this how the nation will move forward?"

The ACF chieftain, Haruna explained that the "there is the need for the  anti-corruption crusade to transform Nigeria",  stressing that "we are now asking the institutions to do their jobs properly and this is the time they should stamp their feet on the ground.

"We hope we are not getting another grandstanding  without effective result. I don't know which other way Nigerians would want. But, whatever conforms with the rule of law, whether they are leaders or not leaders, and there is proof  that we are all equal before the law, it will certainly transform Nigeria if those caught in corrupt practices are severely punished."



Source: EFCC quizzes Bankole, searches home