N189m loan: Judiciary frustrating Odili’s trial –EFCC

[Mirror]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday accused the judiciary of frustrating its efforts to prosecute former of Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, over the N189 million credit facility allegedly granted him by Finbank Plc.

The Chief of Staff to EFCC Chairman, Kayode Oladele, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the workshop organised for journalists by the EFCC on "Economic Crimes Reportage'' in Lagos. A Federal High Court, Abuja Division, five years ago barred the EFCC from arresting and prosecuting Odili.

The court also restrained the anti-graft body and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, or any of their agents from confiscating Odili's property in any part of the world for the purpose of realising any security for the indebtedness to the said bank.

But Oladele expressed frustration of the anti-graft agency, saying it had not been able to proceed with the prosecution of the former governor even through it appealed against the ruling of the court five years ago at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to Oladele, the anti-graft agency did its best by speedily appealing the perpetual injunction but the appeal has since been stalled because the court refused to fix a date for the hearing.

He said: "This is a regime of rule of law and everything has to be done in accordance with the law of the land." Earlier in his speech, the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, represented by the Director of Operation Laolu Adegbite, urged the media to help the commission to fight corruption rather than allowing itself to be involved in corruption.

He also denied that the agency was broke but admitted that the commission would welcome more funds if provided. On the recent scandal in the aviation sector, Lamorde said any complaint to the commission would be investigated.

But he declined to admit whether the Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, was being investigated. He, however, said anybody that was accused of misappropriating or looting the country's treasury would be investigated no matter how highly placed.

[Folami David]

Well it's done already so there is nothing we can do about it. Great one from Babatunde Raju Fasjola!