The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says a former minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, is still under the investigation of the anti-graft agency despite permanently exiting the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu.
It also disclosed that an interim report about the embattled former minister had been submitted to the President in order to take actions, adding that there are still a gamut of documents to be cross-checked regarding her dealings when she held sway in the ministry.
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Daily Trust reports Tinubu suspended the former minister in January following a national outcry over an alleged ₦585 million scandal.
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The Presidency a few days ago ruled out her return to the cabinet after another person had been appointed – putting an end to months of speculation that she might be reinstated.
Fielding questions from journalists at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja during a press briefing on Thursday, the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said Nigerians should be rest assured that the agency would get to the root of the matter.
Olukoyede, who was represented at the briefing by the Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwajaren, while reeling out his achievements in the last one year, said many pending cases would be completed in due time.
He said, “I don’t know the outcome. But I believe that we have submitted a (preliminary) report to the president. And I believe that we are still on the matter.
“The last time I checked, we mentioned the number of bank accounts that we were monitoring. We were looking at about 140 accounts. And we know it takes time to look into and get the required information.”
Speaking on the investigation levelled against the commission by the controversial crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, the EFCC boss said he could face a fresh charge from the commission if the allegations against the EFCC are false.
Daily Trust reports that Bobrisky had in a voice note shared by controversial social critic, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, allegedly said he bribed EFCC officers with N15m to drop money laundering charges against him.
Although the EFCC denied the allegations, it set up a committee to investigate the matter.
Providing an update, the anti-graft agency boss stated that one could be charged for giving false information to the EFCC, let alone making false allegations against the commission.
“There is a portion of the EFCC Act that states if you give false information, you can be tried, but in this case, it is an allegation against the agency. I don’t want to preempt the panel investigating the matter. Once we are through with the investigation, we will definitely brief you on the outcome.”
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