The row
between the Economic and a Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Sokoto
State Government over the fate of five persons from the state, standing trial
for alleged financial misdeeds continued, on Wednesday.
A
senior official of the state alleged that the anti-graft body was deliberately
engaging in falsehood and smear campaign to malign the integrity of Governor
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
The
EFCC had, last week, tackled Governor Tambuwal for allegedly pardoning the
defendants.
The
body said the governor lacked the power to ‘pardon’ five persons standing trial
for corrupt practices in offences allegedly committed during the regime of
former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa who ruled between 1999 and 2007.
Those
involved included two serving commissioners, Tukur Alkali and Isa Achida.
Others were the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Commission for
Colleges of Education (NCCE), Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi; the member representing
Isa constituency at the House of Assembly, Alhaji Habibu Modachi; and a
Permanent Secretary, Isah Bello.
They
were all arraigned in 2009, two years after the end of Bafarawa’s tenure, over
an alleged N15 billion fraud. The former governor is also a defendant in the
case.
According
to a senior official in Sokoto State Ministry of Justice, who pleaded for
anonymity, the EFCC was ‘economical with the truth’ on the matter.
The
source, who claimed that she was not authorised to speak to the press on the
issue, contended that the foundation of the case was more or less politically-motivated,
and that Governor Tambuwal only interfered in it to right a wrongs committed by
the Wamakko regime.
She
stressed, “The EFCC will do itself a lot of good if it weans itself of
politically-motivated cases in order to boost its reputation and enhance the
credibility of the fight against corruption in the country.
“This case
was filed in the first instance because Wamakko fought tooth and nail to ensure
that leading lights of the Bafarawa regime were prosecuted at all cost.
“A
commission of enquiry, under the leadership of Aminu Ahmad was set up which
indicted the said persons. Many issues were raised about the procedure adopted
by the commission. Upon their indictment, the EFCC filed charges in court
against the persons based on the commission’s report and the white paper issued
by the government.
“But
two years ago, after waiting for eight years to quash the adoption of the
commission’s report through legal means failed due to delays in court, the
persons wrote to the new administration calling for a review of their
indictment. The state government, based on strong case they had, reviewed the
work of the commission of inquiry and discovered some errors in arriving at its
final decision. The government then reached a conclusion that the report was not
fair to some of the persons and eventually quashed the indictment in the spirit
of justice and fairness.”
She
continued “Quashing of the indictment has nothing to do with the EFCC’s case in
court. It was the natural thing to do since those indicting have a strong case
of not given a fair hearing in the first instance.
“Seeing
that the foundation upon which the EFCC based its case against them was faulty
and was eventually quashed by the government, the defendants approached the
court with the new document issued by the government, and Justice Abass Bello
discharged them and advised EFCC to base its case on other things if it hopes
to continue with the prosecution of same people on same matter.
“How
EFCC went public with different thing to what transpired in court surprised
everyone involved in the case. However, now that an appeal has been filed, we
will pursue the matter to logical conclusion,” the source added.
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