The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has
arrested a former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, for allegedly receiving
N350m from the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign
Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, during the build-up to the 2015
presidential elections.
The money was said to have been part of the N4bn
that emanated from the imprest account of the Office of the National Security
Adviser domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to the EFCC, Udenwa who was the Imo
State coordinator of the campaign organisation, had admitted in his statement
of oath that he received the money via Diamond Bank account 0058805692 and
005950791 respectively on January 14 and January 28, 2015 in three separate
instalments.
Udenwa explained that he
and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, who was his
deputy at the presidential campaign organisation, were the two signatories to
the Diamond Bank account that received the money.
Onwuliri has since left
the country.
Investigations revealed
that the money came from a company named Joint Trust Dimension Limited which is
said to be owned by Usman.
This same company was
charged alongside Usman and the Media Director of the campaign organisation,
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, before a Federal High Court in Lagos on a similar
allegation.
Fani-Kayode had also
admitted receiving N840m through the account while the Chairman of the Social
Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, received N100m through his company, Marecco
Nigeria Limited.
A source at the EFCC
said, “Upon his arrest, Udenwa was immediately granted administrative bail by
the commission with condition that he should be reporting to the commission at
an appointed time. But while enjoying his administrative bail, Udenwa chose to
deliberately skip reporting, thereby compelling the commission to revoke his
administrative bail pending his arraignment soon.”
Udenwa, who also served
as Minister of Commerce and Industry between 2008 and 2010 under Jonathan, had
told our correspondent during an interview that he indeed received the money
but never knew that it emanated from the ONSA.
The ex-governor told our
correspondent that he was asked to open the Diamond Bank account so as to
receive the mobilisation funds.
He said he spent the
money for the exact purpose for which it was given to him and had told the EFCC
that he could not return any money as it had all been spent.
Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment