Senator Bukola Saraki, who was elected Senate President on Tuesday, stand accused of multiple fraud and money laundering cases, elombah.com has learnt.
On August 03, 2013, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, vowed to take necessary steps to arrest and try former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, for several fraud-related
cases.
“The Senator has eight major matters pending before the EFCC and the commission will use all means within the ambit of the law to compel him to honour the invitation,” EFCC said.
Some residents of Kwara had petitioned the EFCC accusing Mr. Saraki of graft worth hundreds of millions of naira during his eight-year stint as governor of kwara state (2003 to 2011).
The commission, apparently peeved by the refusal of the former governor to honour its invitation dated July 25, 2013, said that it would use all legitimate means to compel the Senator to honour its invitation.
In March 2014, the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police also issued a damning report recommending the Senator (APC Kwara Central) for prosecution over alleged violation of Nigeria’s money laundering laws.
In an investigation that spanned many years and covered accounts held by the Senator and his companies in Zenith, GTB and Access Bank, police investigators say they found evidence of huge and consistent stealing of public funds by Mr. Saraki and his aides, especially when he served as governor of Kwara state.
The investigative report said in part, “The activities of Dr. Bukola Saraki, his Personal Assistant, Abdul Adama other personal staffs that helped him in laundering the monies in bits including the companies that helped transform the naira to foreign exchange thus making it possible for him in washing the cash overseas are in contravention of the provisions of the Money Laundering Act. They are recommended to be prosecuted for offenses relating to Money Laundering and for breaching the Forex (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Section 12(1), Section 29(2) a and b, Section 39(3)(4) Section 30(1)(a), (2)(b).”
On August 03, 2013 EFCC, vowed to take necessary steps to arrest and try Bukola Saraki, for several fraud-related cases. The action of the anti-graft agency followed the denial by Saraki that he had not received any invitation from the commission over any fraud-related investigation.
The former governor, who then headed the Senate Committee on Environment, described his alleged refusal to honour EFCC summon to answer questions relating to his tenure at the Societe General Bank of Nigeria and at the Government House Ilorin for eight years, as a calculated attempt to tarnish his image.
Saraki said that he only got to know about his invitation on the pages of an Abuja-based newspaper and expressed surprise that the agency, which had been investigating him over the years had resorted to using such a medium to summon him.
Saraki said that there was nothing new for the EFCC to investigate about him, having carried out similar probe between 2010 and 2012 without finding anything incriminating against him and his administration.
But the Commission in 2013, faulted Saraki’s claim of not receiving its summon to appear before it on July 31, 2013 to answer questions on pending fraud-related matters.
The Spokesman for the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that Senator Saraki was invited through the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly by a letter dated July 25, 2013.
Uwujaren said, “Saraki was to report at Idiagbon House by 10 am on Wednesday July 31, 2013 but did not honour the invitation. The Senator has eight major matters pending before the EFCC and the commission will use all means within the ambit of the law to compel him to honour the invitation,” he said.
A copy of the invitation letter, which was obtained by elombah.com, was signed by the EFCC Director of Operations, Mr Olaolu Adegbite and dated July 25, 2013 with reference No. CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/EG/VOL.12/97.
The letter was entitled “Investigation Activities on Senator Bukola Saraki” and addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly.
Part of the invitation letter read: “The EFCC is investigating a case of fraud involving the above Distinguished Senator. We accordingly seek your kind assistance to release him to report to the undersigned at Idiagbon House, No 5 Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Abuja at 10 am on July 31, 2013 in furtherance of the investigation.”
It was not clear why EFCC did not go through on this matter, but unsubstantiated reports say Saraki bribed the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde with millions of naira to kill the investigation.
The Nigerian authorities have also failed to charge the Senator to court. In fact former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, wrote to the Inspector General directing him to stop further investigation of Mr. Saraki.
Based on this directive, a Federal High Court, in May, ordered the police to stop further “harassment” of the Senator.
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