EFCC Quizes Hembe, Others Over Bribery Allegations

[TGD]

 THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun probe of the bribery allegations that rocked the House of Representatives recent probe of the capital market failure.

Chairman of the House Committee on Capital Market, Herman Hembe, yesterday appeared before the anti-graft agency for interrogation. Hembe and other secretariat staff of the House of Representatives were said to have been invited to explain all they know about the N44 million bribery allegation levelled against panel chairman and other members by the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission {SEC}, Ms. Arunma Oteh. The SEC boss made the allegation during the committee's sitting after Hembe accused her of corruption and reckless spending of SEC funds.

While Hembe was yet to be released by mid-afternoon,  Oteh was yet to appear before the anti-graft agency, according to a senior operative of the EFCC, who pleaded anonymity.

The official told The Guardian that Hembe appeared before the agency with three of his committee members, who had served as liaison officers between the panel and SEC. He could not say whether they would be released immediately after their interrogation.

It was, however, not clear if Oteh was billed to appear before the agency at any specific time, but there were indications that she had had a preliminary interaction with the agency.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwajaren, declined comment on the matter, while several calls to the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, did not go through. But a source confirmed that the investigation into the matter was ongoing and that the secretariat staff of the House would also be quizzed, because of their alleged involvement in the correspondences exchanged between the Committee and SEC over the alleged demand for bribes by the committee chairman.

The allegation that Hembe demanded for N44 million to fund the public hearing on the rot in the capital market, led to the dissolution of the committee and the setting up of an 8-man ad-hoc panel last Tuesday to continue with the probe by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.



The Guardian