The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on
Wednesday grilled Rear Admiral Alison Madueke (retd.), for several hours at its
head office in Abuja.
Madueke, who is the husband of the immediate past
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani, was said to have honoured an
invitation by the commission.
The interrogation of Madueke, one of our
correspondents learnt, followed the discovery of about $600,000 in his personal
accounts.
He was said to have been released on administrative
bail while his passport was seized by the anti-graft agency.He was also asked to return to the EFCC at a later
date to answer more questions.
The lawyer for the Madueke family, Mr. Oscar
Onwudiwe, confirmed that the former Chief of Naval Staff was at the EFCC
office.
He, however, said he did not know the reason for his
invitation.
Onwudiwe said, “He honoured an invitation by the EFCC
and has left.”When asked why Madueke was invited, the lawyer said,
“I really do not know. The EFCC has become something else under this
government. They have been empowered and believe the best way to work is to
leak stories to the media.”
On the allegation of money laundering, Onwudiwe
said, “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him yet.”
Attempts to get the EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson
Uwujaren, did not succeed as calls to his mobile phone did not connect.
A top operative in the commission, who confided in
The PUNCH, said the former Chief of Naval Staff had been released.“He was summoned over $600,000 allegedly found in
his accounts. He has been given an administrative bail.”
Meanwhile, the commission has moved the immediate
past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), from Abuja
to Lagos as its investigations into the $2.1bn arms scandal intensify.
The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday from a reliable source
within the EFCC that some of Badeh’s properties in Lagos might be searched and
seized by the commission.
Badeh, who has been in the custody of the anti-graft
agency since February 8, is being questioned in connection with arms contracts
totalling $930.5m, which were allegedly awarded under his leadership.
The money is said to be part of the $2.1bn meant for
arms purchase, which was under the control of the Office of the National
Security Adviser, headed then by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Badeh is also said to be answering questions on the
non-specification of procurement costs, absence of contract agreements, award
of contracts beyond authorised thresholds, transfer of public funds for
unidentified purposes and general non-adherence to provisions of the Public
Procurement Act.
A reliable source said Badeh’s movement to Lagos was
to identify some properties or business that might belong to him.
He explained that under the law, the EFCC could
invoke the Assets Forfeiture clause to seize the properties of those who
allegedly diverted or misappropriated funds meant for arms procurement in line
with sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1)
of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.
The detective added, “We are trying to trace houses
that belong to some of the military chiefs. Apart from checking their bank
accounts, we want to find out if part of the money for arms procurement was
spent on those houses.
“Based on the outcome of our investigations, Badeh
may be charged to a Lagos High Court instead of Abuja.”
Two weeks ago, the commission seized houses said to
be worth over N5bn, belonging to some Nigerian Air Force officials.
The houses, which were seized in the Ikoyi, Victoria
Island, Ikeja and Badagry areas of Lagos State, allegedly belong to the
immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.); the
immediate past Chief of Accounts and Budgeting of the Nigerian Air Force, Air
Vice-Marshal J. B. Adigun; and Air Commodore O. O. Gbadebo, who was the
Director of Finance and Budget at NAF.
In a related development, the EFCC said it had
obtained a remand order to keep Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, the Aide-de-Camp to former
President Goodluck Jonathan in detention pending investigations.
A reliable source in the EFCC told our correspondent
on Wednesday that with the remand order, Adegbe could remain in custody for the
next 20 days.The ex-president’s ADC has meanwhile denied media reports that he
said Nigeria would burn if he revealed what happened under the Jonathan’s
administration.
In a letter written by his lawyer, Chief Ogwu Onoja
(SAN), Adegbe said he would sue the newspaper which carried the story which he
described as false.
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