Director
General of Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Is’haq Modibbo-Kawu, said the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been directed to return the
N10 billion seized from it.
Mr.
Modibbo-Kawu, who announced this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday,
said President Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive.
The money
was seized by EFCC during the tenure of former DG of NBC, Emeka Mba.
Mr.
Modibbo-Kawu said the money was still in the custody of the anti-graft agency
but that President Buhari had ordered that it be released to the commission.
He said
the EFCC was expected to give further details on the release process in due
course as directed by the President.
Mr. Mba,
Basil Udotai and his company, Technology Advisor LLP, were accused along with
others by the EFCC of having a hand in an alleged diversion of N10 billion from
the N34 billion paid by the MTN to the NBC.
The
amount was part of the money meant for digital television broadcasting in the
country.
EFCC had
also alleged that the money was transferred to a bank in breach of Federal
Government’s directive on Treasury Single Account.
Although the EFCC said it had recovered the N10 billion from
those who took it, Messrs Mba and Udotai denied ever taking part in the
diversion of the money.
They insisted that no such money was ever taken by them or
those who participated in the digital switch process.
The denials were contained in two separate letters written on
their behalf by their lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN).
In the letters, Mr. Mba made it clear that the entire
transaction was transparent and carried out in accordance with the approval
granted NBC by former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Federal Executive
Council.
Their lawyer maintained that no money was missing throughout
Mr. Mba’s tenure as DG of NBC and that he was proud of his post as an
outstanding public servant with over 25 years of experience in the
communications and entertainment industry.
The lawyer said: “The truth is that during the tenure of our
client as the DG of the NBC, no money was missing, lost or stolen by anyone at
the NBC.
“The NBC in all its transactions followed due processes and
got appropriate approvals from its board of directors, the then Minister of
Information, former Minister of Communications Technology and President
Goodluck Jonathan.”
The NBC helmsman informed newsmen of the forthcoming 11th
edition of ‘Africast 2016’ scheduled to hold on October18 to 20.
NAN
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