ALLEGED FRAUD: EFCC soft-pedals, says Sadiya Umar-Farouq pleads for time
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said said former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development Sadiya Umar-Farouq has pleaded for more time to honour its invitation.
The EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said this on Thursday in Abuja.
Oyewale explained that the former minister sent a letter that she could not honour the invitation because she was indisposed due to health challenges.
“She sent a letter pleading for more time, explaining that she had some health challenges…She actually gave reasons why she couldn’t meet up. Her lawyer was also at the commission to brief the anti-graft agency of why she couldn’t come or honour the invitation,” the EFCC spokesman added.
Oyewale said EFCC had considered her plea and expected that she would honour the invitation without further delay. He said there might not be any reason for her arrest as she had done what was needed through her lawyer.
“The position of the commission is that she should turn herself in without further delay,” the EFCC official said.
He also explained that the N37.1 billion being branded might not be a correct figure for the money misappropriated by the ministry.
“On the figure that is being branded, I cannot categorically confirm the figure because it is an ongoing thing. We are still tracing all the transactions here and there. It may be more than that,” the EFCC spokesman explained. “We can’t publish a figure now until we finish the tracking, and it may be more than what is being brandished now.”
EFCC soft-pedalling?
EFFC only reacted to earlier news that it may arrest the ex-minister by Friday if she did not turn herself in.
The agency’s officials who were supposed to interrogate her on Wednesday waited in vain till late in the evening, and the EFFC – which circulated the information about her invitation – did not deem it necessary to tell the press that she would not be coming as, according to its spokesman, she has sent a letter to table her excuses on health ground.
EFCC also failed to explain to officially explain to Nigerians early on Thursday while she did not report on Wednesday, waiting until later in the afternoon, giving rise to speculations that the agency might already be soft-pedalling on interrogating her due to a rumored understanding being reached between her and the anti-graft body.
With reports from NAN
Share your thoughts on the storyALLEGED FRAUD: EFCC soft-pedals, says Sadiya Umar-Farouq pleads for time with NigerianSketch in the comments section.
