Tuesday, 07 May 2024

Falae company’s account frozen by EFCC over Campaign funds

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] has frozen the bank account of a company belonging to Chief Olu Falae.

Chief Falae is former Secretary to the Federal Government.

The affected account is domiciled with the United Bank for Africa.

The account name is Marecco Nigeria Limited, with account number 1000627022.

Elombah.com gathered that the account was frozen as part of the ongoing investigations into the N4bn disbursed by the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation.

During interrogation, Chief Falae had, in a confessional statement obtained by Elombah.com said:

 “It is true that N100m was given to my party to endorse and work for Jonathan candidacy in the 2015 presidential election. 

“We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have a presidential candidate in the election. 

“The money was not for me. Thank God, I’m a retired civil servant. 

“I have all the documents to prove all that transpired between the two parties. 

“With all the money the PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I have known that the money was from the arms deal? 

“No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue.”

Several other individuals have been fingered in the botched deal including:

- Director of Finance of the campaign organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, 

- Ex- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali 

- former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, 

- former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa,

- former governor of Kano State, Mallam Shekarau,

- former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, 

- head of Goodluck Support Group, Prof. Rufai Alkali

- former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih,

- the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke,

- ex-Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, et al.

Wali was arrested on Thursday, May 9, by operatives of EFCC over the campaign funds.

The former Nigeria’s Ambassador to China admitted receiving the campaign funds as the head of a seven-man committee for Kano State.

The former minister said he was only invited by the EFCC to explain what he knew about the money and he was allowed to take his leave. 

Shekarau may appear before the anti-graft agency to explain his role in the sharing of the N950 million campaign funds.

The EFCC had  also grilled ex-Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed. 

Both Wali and Mohammed served in the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Mohammed was alleged to have collected N500 million from the money said to have been allegedly budgeted for the 2015 general elections.

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode was alleged to have received N840m from the campaign funds. 

He arrived at  the EFCC headquarters  at 9.45am on Monday and is still being quizzed.

Both Falae and Fani-Kayode were accused of receiving N940m from Senator Usman during the build-up to the election.

Falae reportedly collected N100m on behalf of his party, the Social Democratic Party [SDP].

Fani-Kayode received N840m as the spokesman for the campaign organisation.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the National Security Adviser which is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Chief Anenih was said to have given instructions that N100m should be paid to Falae.

Both Fani-Kayode and Falae have said they never knew the money belonged to the government.

Fani-Kayode had also told our correspondent that the PDP leadership gave him the impression that the money was sourced from private individuals.

- See more at: http://elombah.com/index.php/reports/6946-falae-company-s-account-frozen-by-efcc-over-campaign-funds#sthash.8A5LtlK7.dpuf

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