The top officer of the commission who revealed in confidential alleged that Metuh
tore the statement when it was brought to him for his signature.
The source alleged that the PDP
spokesman tore the statement he had earlier made to shreds and attempted
to put the pieces in his mouth when operatives stopped him.
Metuh was arrested by the EFCC last week
for allegedly receiving N1.4bn meant for the purchase of arms from a
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.)
The top operative added that the
commission was considering filing additional charges against Metuh for
allegedly destroying a major evidence in the case against him.
He added that the action of the PDP spokesman amounted to a wilful damage of government property.
“The tearing of statement is tantamount
to wilful destruction of government property and it is a serious
offence. Also, the fact that he obstructed operatives from performing
their job is a criminal offence.
“We will explore the possibility of
filing a separate charge against him at the Federal Capital Territory
High Court,” the source said.
Efforts to get Metuh’s aide, Mr. Richard
Ihediwa, to react to this latest development did not succeed as calls
to his mobile telephone indicated that it was switched off.
There was a report last week that the EFCC was investigating the account of Destra Investment Limited, owned by Metuh.
According to the report, the EFCC
investigators discovered that Destra Investment Limited was used to fund
the PDP’s activities, including its 2015 campaigns.
The EFCC alleged that the company, which
had N6, 676,576.06 as of November 24, 2014, recorded a balance of
N1.4bn by last December.
Some of the deposits in the account are
N400m from the Office of National Security Adviser on November 24, 2014;
N253m on December 2 and 4, 2014 from Ibrahim Kabiru, whose identity had
yet to be confirmed; N91m on December 2, 2014 from Capital Field
Investment; and N92m on December 3, 2014.
Meanwhile, Metuh has said he will no
longer speak to investigators about the N400m he collected from former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said rather, he would only speak in an open court.
Metuh had admitted before the EFCC
operatives that he received N400m from Jonathan, but refused to disclose
what the money was meant for or for what job.
In a statement by his Special Assistant,
Ihediwa, in Abuja on Tuesday, Metuh claimed that he executed a project
for the former President but refused to explain the job he executed for
the ex-President that fetched him the huge sum.
Metuh, who is said to be on hunger
strike, said he would only disclose the job he did for the defeated
former President in an open court.
Ihediwa said, “In exercise of his
rights, he has since given his statement to the EFCC wherein he
submitted that he received the sum of N400m from the former President
for an assignment, which he executed to the satisfaction of the former
President.
“In further exercise of his rights,
Metuh has also indicated his readiness to make public the nature of this
assignment, but only in an open court in line with the laws of the
land, and where his statement would not be distorted by anybody.”
Meanwhile, the caucus of the PDP in the
House of Representatives has demanded the release of the PDP
spokesperson from the custody of the EFCC within 48 hours.
The Minority Leader of the House, Mr.
Leo Ogor, a member of the PDP from Delta State, who spoke on behalf of
the caucus, clarified that the demand did not mean that the lawmakers
were against the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government.
Ogor added, “We are not in support of
corruption or any corrupt person, but due process must be followed.
Metuh has been arrested and kept in detention for nine, almost 10 days,
without trial.
“We insist that he should be taken to a
court of competent jurisdiction or granted an administrative bail as has
been done in cases involving other persons.”
The caucus recalled that like Metuh,
former Kaduna State military governor, Brig.-Gen. Jafaru Isa, a “known
associate” of President Muhammadu Buhari, was also detained by the EFCC
for receiving N170m from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
However, the PDP observed that in the case of Jafaru, he was granted bail soon after his arrest by the anti-graft agency.
“Isa Jafaru was granted bail after the EFCC chairman (Ibrahim Magu) visited Aso Rock. What does that tell us?” Ogor asked.
The EFCC had said Isa was granted bail after he refunded N100m from the N170m he collected from Dasuki.
Ogor added, “If you make a reference to
the refund of money, then we have missed the point. The point is ‘why
keep a man in detention endlessly without trial’? It is not the duty of
the EFCC to direct anybody to refund money. That is the responsibility
of the courts.’’
PDP’s National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor
Kwon, told one of our correspondents that he was not at the place where
the incident allegedly happened.
Kwon said, “I wasn’t there and I won’t want to react to hearsay.
“Only those who were there can confirm or deny whether the incident took place or not.”
Efforts to get the EFCC’s spokesman,
Wilson Uwujaren, to confirm Metuh’s action, had not succeeded as of the
time of sending this report as calls to his mobile telephone did not
connect.
In a related development, the House of
Representatives in its plenary session on Tuesday debated a bill to
amend the EFCC Act 2004.
The bill, which was sponsored by Mr. Nicholas Ossai, seeks to restructure the commission and strengthen it.
The bill, among others, seeks to
restructure the composition of the EFCC by introducing various
professional bodies into its operations.
It also seeks to empower the commission
to seize funds held in the bank accounts of individuals, which the
owners could not defend or explain their sources.
A member, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said, “We
need to professionalise the EFCC so that the agency can be sound in
fighting corruption.”
But members like Abdulrazak Namdas and
Aminu Suleiman expressed fears that introducing “external bodies” like
the Nigerian Bar Association could politicise the operations of the
commission.
“These professional bodies are
themselves political bodies in a way because they have political
affiliations. At the end of the day, they will rather delay the work of
the commission than speeding it up,” Namdas stated.
On his part, Suleiman said, “Bringing in other organs to be part of the EFCC will politicise the commission.”
The bill passed its second reading and
was referred to the House Committee on Financial Crimes by the Speaker,
Mr. Yakubu Dogara.
Source:Punch
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