Saraki Is Blocking Us From Probing Him, EFCC Tells Court
- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that Saraki is hindering his probe
- Saraki, who was the Senate president during the eighth National Assembly, is being probed by the anti-graft agency over his activities at Kwara state governor
- The counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoronkwo, said the former governor, is looking for every means to evade the probe
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FCT, Abuja - Former Senate president and ex-governor of Kwara state, Bukola Saraki, has been accused of hindering the process by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe him.
The News reports that the anti-graft agency made this known on Wednesday, July 14, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
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Legit.ng gathered that the counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoronkwo, told Justice Anwuli Chikere when the fundamental rights enforcement suits filed by Saraki were mentioned in the court.
According to the report, the EFCC had, in 2019, said it would probe Saraki’s earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he was governor of Kwara.
The commission was reported to have seized some of his houses in the Ikoyi area of Lagos during the period.
It was gathered that Saraki, on May 10, 2019, filed two separate suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/19 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/19 respectively before Justice Taiwo Taiwo to challenge the action of the EFCC.
Vanguard also reports that Justice Taiwo, who was the presiding judge, ruled on an ex parte application filed along with the substantive suits and ordered the anti-corruption agency (4th respondent) and the other five respondents to the suits to stay action on the probe pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicant.
The order was granted after Sunday Onubi, Saraki’s lawyer, moved the application, on May 14, 2019.
High court orders EFCC to stop Saraki's probe
The court had directed the parties to maintain the status quo by suspending the probe.
But the EFCC later applied that the judge should recuse himself and the matter be transferred to another court.
Justice Taiwo sent back the case file to the chief judge and the matter was reassigned to Justice Chikere for adjudication.
When the matter was called on Wednesday, the counsel to the ex-senate president, Sunday Onubi, told the court that the matter was slated for mention.
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EFCC declares Governor Tambuwal's aide wanted over N2.2m fraud
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that EFCC decided to go after one of Governor Aminu Tambuwal's aides over an alleged N2.2 million fraud.
It was reported that the anti-graft agency is going after Bello Malami Tambuwal, a special adviser for allegedly duping car dealers.
This was made known by Usman Kaltungo, the EFCC zonal head of the anti-graft agency on Wednesday, July 7.
Source: Legit.ng
