EFCC dumps Lawan c’tte report
Farouk Lawan
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The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is not making use of the
investigative report on the fuel subsidy management conducted by the
House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee led by Mr. Farouk Lawan.
Investigations show that the EFCC
leadership views the Lawan committee’s report, which is enmeshed in a
$620,000 bribe controversy involving Lawan and oil magnate, Femi
Otedola, as a mere fact-finding exercise lacking the force for
prosecution.
The commission believes that the
investigation conducted by the ad hoc committee, which revealed the
theft of N1.07tn subsidy funds by oil importers and their
collaborators, can’t be relied upon to prosecute anybody.
Although the commission, which commenced
its independent investigation in April, did not dwell on the House
report, it did not dismiss it in its entirety.
The Lawan committee recommended that 72
companies be investigated by “the relevant anti-corruption agencies in
order to establish their culpability and to recover the N230.1bn said to
have been misappropriated by them.”
SATURDAY PUNCH gathered that the
commission was relying on the investigation led by its Director of
Operations, Mr. Laolu Adegbite, to bring those indicted in the
administration of the subsidy funds to book.
The EFCC team, comprising over 60
operatives, who visited oil installations across the country and other
vital oil distribution points, did not focus only on the oil importers
as was the case in the House of Representatives’ report.
It is the view of the leadership of the
commission that all those found to have played various roles in the
issue of the subsidy and whose names came up during the investigations
would face prosecution irrespective of whether the person is an
importer, or a Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency or the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation worker.
Although the Attorney-General and Minister
of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, said last week that the commission might
commence prosecution of indicted oil importers next week,
investigations showed that Adegbite and his men were still probing.
However, the commission has gone very far
in its investigation and has come up with enough findings to approach
the court for prosecution.
“The report was not discussed as an issue,
but assurances were given that as soon as the EFCC finishes its
assignment, which is very soon, you will begin to see prosecution
probably in the next one week.
“So, Nigerians should rest assured that this is not an issue that will be swept under the carpet.
“We have gone this far because we want a
proper and painstaking investigation done so that when we charge people
to court, there will be no lapses or loopholes for lawyers to explore,”
the AGF had told State House correspondents after a meeting of the three
arms of government in Abuja.
When our correspondent contacted the acting
Head of Media of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, he said he did not have
the details about the investigations being carried out.
